Election atmosphere under control despite 'minor incidents', says CEC Huda

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has played down concerns over the reported attacks on the campaigns of the two BNP-backed mayor candidates in the Dhaka city polls, which he has described as 'minor incidents'.

He made the remarks after a training session on the use of electronic voting machines or EVMs at the Central Women's College in Dhaka's Tikatuli on Monday.

"The election atmosphere is under control. There have been a few incidents of trouble but those are of little consequences," he said.

BNP-backed candidates for the posts of mayors and councillors have levelled several allegations of electoral misconduct at their Awami League-backed counterparts since campaigning began on Jan 10.

But EC for the most part are not acting on their complaints, they alleged.

The attack on the BNP-endorsed Dhaka North mayoral hopeful Tabith Awal on the campaign trail in Gabtoli on Jan 21  further fuelled discontent among BNP supporters.

According to Tabith, the supporters of Mujib Sarwar Masum, an Awami League-backed councillor candidate, attacked his rally in the Parbata Kalabazar area in the presence of police.

Days later on Jan 26, supporters of Ishraque Hossain, the BNP-backed mayoral candidate for Dhaka South, clashed with the Awami League activists campaigning for two councillor candidates during an election rally in the capital's Gopibagh.

According to a few local BNP activists, Ishraque was leading a procession back to his home in Gopibagh when they were attacked by Awami League activists near the Central Women's College.

The two sides traded blows for about 40 minutes during which several vehicles were damaged.

Questions have also been raised within the EC's own ranks over its enforcement of the election code of conduct.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar later cast doubt on the credibility of the elections as he alleged there was no 'level playing field' within the EC itself, which the CEC later denied.