Polls peaceful so far

Polling in 97 Upazilas have been peaceful so far, an Election Commission spokesman said on Wednesday.

Voters lined up to exercise their franchise since 8am on Wednesday in about 7,000 poll centres. Polling will continue until 4pm.

A public holiday has been declared at the areas where votes are being held.
Election Commission spokesperson SM Asaduzzman told bdnews24.com at 11am voting had began on schedule in every Upazila.

“Everything has been peaceful. So far there has been no untoward incident,” he said.

The EC official believed the election would not turn violent like the Jan 5 national elections because all parties were participating in it.

Voter turnout was low in the morning but picked up grew gradually as the day progressed, he said.

BNP-backed chairman candidate in Sujanagar Upzila, Pabna, Hajari Zakir Hossain Chunnu, boycotted the polls within two hours of the beginning of the polls.

He blamed Awami League for rigging and intimidation -- a charge the League refuted.

Pabna district unit of BNP later called a daylong strike in the Upazila on Thursday to protest against electoral malpractice.

Awami League-backed candidate Pankaj Kundu in Sadar Upazila, Magura, alleged that BNP-backed candidate Nazimuddin was violating election code by distributing voter slips in front of a polling centre.

Allegations of electoral code violation were raised in some places, but the Election Commission has not given any statement so far on the issue.

Our local correspondents said vote was peaceful in most places.

A Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and a female Vice-Chairman will be elected in each Upazila.

Polls at Rangpur’s Pirganj Upazila, however, will be held on Monday because of a by-poll there.

The Election Commission said all measures to facilitate smooth voting have been adopted.

Campaign ended at midnight on Monday, 36 hours before the election began, it said.

The army was deployed on Monday for five days to help maintain law and order.

Along with them, an adequate number of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police and Ansar personnel were also pressed into poll duty.

All forms of electoral campaign have been stopped and restrictions imposed on motorised vehicles from Monday midnight.

The EC does not foresee any violence in the Upazila elections, a marked departure from the troubled national poll.

All preparations have been made to hold the election in a peaceful environment, says Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad.

“Adequate measures have been adopted to create a smooth environment for the voters, including those of the minority community (Hindus),” he said.

“Violation of any law will not be tolerated,” Ahmad warned.

All polling materials have been dispatched to the centres. Security persons are on duty there, said Ashfaqur Rahman, an Assistant Secretary at the EC Secretariat.

Political climate in non-political election

As per law, the Upazila election should not be politics-driven , but on ground that is what it is like.

The EC can't do much about it.

Awami League, BNP and other political parties have fielded candidates for the Upazila polls.

A few people have been expelled from the parties because they are contesting the polls as independent candidates after failing to get support from their parties.

BNP joins Upazila polls

The BNP is taking part in the Upazila election, though it is being held under a party-led government.

The party and its allies had unleashed violence in a bid to stall the Jan 5 parliament election, which it had boycotted saying that it would not be fair under a party-led government.

On Tuesday, the party filed a complaint with the Election Commission in writing.

BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they have candidates almost in all Upazilas.

Specify allegation: EC

The Election Commission says it will look into allegations only if they are specific.

Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz said, “Political parties are supporting the election though it is a non-party one.”

If there is any allegation, the relevant returning officer has to be informed,” he said, adding, “The allegation should be specific, not general.”

First Phase Electoral Data

A total of 1,274 candidates are contesting this phase of election in 98 Upazilas. Of them, 432 candidates are contesting for post of chairman , 513 for Vice-Chairmen and 329 for Vice-Chairwoman.

Of them, the highest number of Chairman Candidates – 17 - is in Belabo Upazila in Narsinghdi.

Over 1,700 candidates had filed nomination papers in the first phase. Of them, 405 withdrew or were dropped after scrutiny.

No Chairman candidate has been elected uncontested, but a Vice-Chairman has been elected from Sirajganj’s Kazipur Upazila and two Vice-Chairwomen - one from Shariatpur's Jajira and another from Bogra’s Dhupchanchia - have been elected unopposed.

The 98 Upazilas account for 16.4 million voters. Of them, 8.1 million voters are men and 8.2 million are women.

The election will be held in 43,290 rooms of 6,995 voting centres.

A presiding officer will be on duty at each polling centre while an assistant presiding officer at each polling room. A total of 86,580 polling officers will be on duty in this election.

The Election Commission had initially included 102 Upazilas in its first phase of election, but later four Upazilas were dropped from the election of the first phase due to delimitation problems.

Security measures

As a striking force, the army will be on duty in aid of the BGB, RAB Police and Ansar before, during and after the polls. One army platoon will be patrolling each Upazila.

Every Upazila will have two or three army vans. Along with them will be an army commanding officer and a magistrate.

In addition, an adequate number of RAB, BGB, Police and Ansar personnel will be on duty as a mobile force.

A total of 388 Executive Magistrates and 97 Judicial Magistrates have been deployed to maintain law and order on the polling day.

The Election Commission is taking special measures on the recommendation of an intelligence agency to prevent violence in religious minority-dominated areas.

The agency suggested secret watch in the areas for five days starting two days before the polls; arrest of those sued for previous attacks on minority people; operation of mobile courts during the elections; and the guarding of the areas before and after the polls.

An EC official said the agency had submitted a report that contained district and Upazila-wise names of minority-dominated areas, risky polling centres, reasons of potential violence, and the names of those who can unleash terror.

CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad had already instructed all concerned to ensure the highest security in the minority areas.

The EC, however, does not fear any violence in view of the ‘necessary’ security measures adopted.
Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz said on Monday: “The reports we received from the intelligence agency and field-level officials do not indicate act of possible violence.”

He said the law enforcers would remain alert in ‘very sensitive’ areas and swing into action immediately after any act of violence.

The central monitoring cell formed on Monday to deal with election-related irregularities has started functioning. The cell, comprising law enforcement agency and EC officials, will work until Thursday.

Observers

EC officials said journalists, local NGOs and foreign agencies had decided to observe the Upazila polls.

Among 71 foreign observers, two are from Asia Foundation, 54 from the US embassy, nine from Japan and six from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), they said.

A total of 6,589 people from 26 local NGOs would observe the polls, they added.

Actions against controversial officials

The Election Commission has asked all concerned to take actions against officials, who played ‘negative role’ during the previous elections, in consultation with district magistrates and superintendents of police.

The intelligence agency identified 590 such officials at 32 Upazilas in 10 districts who had acted as presiding officers previously.

An EC official said: “All concerned have been instructed to perform their duties neutrally for the election. The EC will take actions under Special Powers Act, 1991 against those not going by the instruction and showing partiality.”