Narayanganj mayor runner Ivy slams media for reports on army deployment demand

Though she had demanded a deployment of army at the last mayoral election, the Awami League candidate, Selina Hayat Ivy, has now changed her stance and slammed the media for repeatedly reporting on demands for the army to be deployed at this year’s election.

“The media have been trying to make the Narayanganj City Corporation polls questionable by repeatedly reporting on the issue of a deployment of the army during the Dec 22 elections,” she has alleged.

She made the allegations at a views exchange meeting with the current and former players of the national football team at the city’s Central Shaheed Minar on Saturday.

Pointing her finger at the media, Ivy said, “You are trying to make the polls debatable.

“If the Election Commission thinks that not only the army but also troops from other forces are needed here, it will assign them.”

“When the EC did not deploy the army during the last polls, I said the people were my army. Then why are the media trying to make the election questionable?” she asked.

Earlier, during the last election in 2011, Ivy had brought allegations against Shamim Osman, another AL leader, of using muscle power and called for the army to be deployed in the interest of a fair election.

The BNP candidate in that election, Toimur Alam Khandaker, had voiced the same demand.

When their call was ignored by the EC, Ivy had said "I am not depending on the army. The BNP candidate's supporters are demonstrating for army deployment. And the supporters of another candidate (Shamim Osman) brought out a victory procession.”

"But there will be no benefit in it, because the people are my army," she had said at the last election.

As it did at the previous voting, the BNP is demanding a deployment of the army in this election. The EC has, however, ruled out the demand, saying the situation is 'better than normal'.

It may be mentioned here that the last election was held on a non-partisan basis but Shamim Osman had considered himself as an AL candidate.

Ivy, running for a second term in office, as an Awami League candidate this time, on Saturday advised the media, "Please don’t create any issue. The election is being held here in a peaceful and festive mood. The candidates are speaking freely."

"We are campaigning harmoniously. The BNP processions are passing by my gathering, but no incident has occurred," she said.

She asked the media, "Has any voter told you about any fear of being barred from casting his or her vote?"

Asked for comments on Shamim Osman's announcement regarding his support for her, she said, "We have worked together for 12 years. It will surely have an impact on the results of the next election."