Comilla City dwellers set to pick a mayor; polls a test of impartiality for EC

The first major polls under the new election commission, the Comilla City Corporation polls, is likely to be a contested one between the leading candidates as well as a test of 'neutrality' for the Election Commission under CEC KM Nurul Huda.

The voting will start at 8 in the morning and continue until 4pm without any break on Thursday.

The BNP, which was critical about the last EC, hopes that the Huda-led EC will reflect public expectations.

Polls officials and law-enforcing agencies have said the entire city has been covered under a security blanket to facilitate a peaceful election.

Huda, who is under BNP scrutiny since assuming office, has finally 'own' their confidence ahead of Comilla election when the BNP leader praised him as a 'nobleman'.

Initially, the BNP called him 'subservient' to the ruling Awami League.

After a recent meeting with him, BNP leaders said 'a new journey of democracy' will begin through the Comilla polls. Terming the new CEC a 'nobleman', they expressed hope that he would deliver on his promise.

"The Comilla City election is an acid test to the current EC. Many political parties have many questions to this EC. If it passes this test, it will gain the political parties' confidence," said BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

The EC has 'presented some proof' of its effort to keep the Comilla civic polls free and fair by transferring 19 police personnel from Comilla Sadar South area to other places of the city on the day before the polls following an allegation.

"We have taken steps following allegations brought by the two major parties to ensure maximum security," said EC Secretary Mohammad Abdullah.

Returning Officer Rakib Uddin Mandal, speaking at a media briefing, warned against irregularities, threatening to take tough action against people found involved in irregularities.

"We will use whatever tool is necessary to prevent disorder," he added.

Comilla Superintendent of Police Shah Abid Hossain said at the briefing, "We will show 'zero tolerance' to any sort of irregularity, violence and disorder."

"No one will be able to flee unharmed after violence at polling stations," he added.

A total of 4,700 members of law-enforcing agencies have been deployed in the city. Twenty-six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh and 34 Rapid Action Battalion teams have been kept as strike force.

Nine judicial and 27 executive magistrates will round the polls areas.

The voting will be held at 103 centres from 8am to 4pm. The number of voters is a little over 200,000.

Ruling Awami League's mayoral candidate Anjum Sultana Sima with 'boat' symbol spent the eve of the vote by exchanging views with leaders and activists at her home in Thakurparha.

Sima, a schoolteacher by profession, had been an acting mayor when Comilla was a municipality.

Her father Afzal Khan lost to BNP leader Monirul Haque Shakku in the first polls to Comilla City Corporation in 2012.

Shakku is fighting the polls, which are being held on party lines for the first time, with the BNP's electoral symbol 'paddy sheaf'.

He also spent the day before the vote by exchanging views with his supporter at his home in Bajrapur.

CEC KM Nurul Huda (File Photo)

JSD candidate Shirin Akter is fighting the election with 'star' symbol while independent candidate retired army major Mamunur Rashid's electoral symbol is 'clock'.

The number of candidates vying for 27 ward councillor posts and nine councillor posts reserved for women is 154.

A voter can get the name of his or her polling station, voter number and serial number by sending a SMS writing: 'PC<Space>17-digit NID number' to 105.

Those with 13-digit NID number will have to add the birth year before the number.

Meanwhile, police have cordoned off a house at Kotbarhi in the city, suspecting that militants have holed up in it.

Returning Officer Rakib, however, said the matter would not affect the polls because the 'militant den' is 'far away' from the nearest polling station.

CEC Huda urged the voters not to panic due to the drive. Police said they would not launch an operation to neutralise the suspects before the end of voting.