AL-endorsed Dhaka North mayor candidate Annisul Huq ‘breaches’ polls code

Awami League-endorsed Dhaka North City Corporation mayor contender Annisul Huq has apparently run foul of the electoral code of conduct by holding a rally at a community centre.

Monday’s alleged brush with law came a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered ministers to follow polls code after an Election Commission warning.

Huq’s supporters shouted slogans in party chief Hasina’s name breaching the code for the local government polls usually considered non-partisan.

Last mayors of Chittagong and undivided Dhaka city corporations were endorsed by the BNP.

Awami League-supported ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury suffered a crushing defeat by 95,000 votes to BNP-backed M Manjur Alam in Chittagong in the 2010 election.

Desperate to buck the trend, the Awami League has also endorsed Sayeed Khokon in Dhaka South and AJM Nasir Uddin in Chittagong for the crucial Apr 28 polls.

Last month, a minister and two state ministers joined a meeting of Awami League’s Chittagong unit, apparently violating a rule banning ministerial involvement in poll campaigns.

Local government electoral code of conduct prohibits ministers and junior ministers from taking part in campaigns or poll-related activities within a polling area.

An election officer for Dhaka North told bdnews24.com that there was no bar to canvassing.

“However, organising electoral rallies at community centres violate the electoral code of conduct,” he said declining to be named.

But Huq denied breaching the code claiming he had not rented the community centre for the “road rally”.

Dhaka North Returning Officer Md Shah Alam told bdnews24.com that he had not received any complaint on the matter.

“There’s no problem if the meeting is held in a homely atmosphere. We have to give the candidates the chance to campaign,” he said when asked about the rally at community centre.

However, Huq said, “I held the road rally at the community centre premises and was there for about 10 minutes.

“I followed electoral code of conduct during campaigning,” he told bdnews24.com.

“I believe the road rally didn’t breach polls code since I didn’t rent it (the community centre) or have a motorcade,” he added.

The businessman, whose electoral symbol is ‘table clock’, drew flak for identifying himself as the prime minister-backed candidate after the party endorsed him.

Awami League’s joint general secretaries – former minister Dipu Moni and former state minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak – were present at the rally in Mohammadpur’s ‘Suchana Community Centre’.

Hundreds of party supporters thronged the area with slogans as activists of Awami League and its student front Bangladesh Chhatra League were busy campaigning for Huq.

Huq campaigned in Mohammadpur on Monday.

“I’ve dedicated myself to serve the people in the next five years,” he told the rally.

His BNP-endorsed rival Tabith Awal has hit back at the EC for “not doing enough”.

His party has been alleging that there is no ‘level playing field’ in the city polls.

“A ruling party-endorsed candidate has held an election rally at a community centre,” Awal told reporters.

“It’s a glaring example of the Election Commission’s indifference to create a level playing field,” he added.

(Additional reporting by Moinul Hoque Chowdhury)