The Dhaka Times Desk Voting for Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet City Corporation elections is being held today in the mood of a huge festival. In all the four cities, there will be a tough fight between the candidates of the alliance and grand alliance.
A total of 750 candidates are contesting in four cities, including 12 each for the post of mayor, 547 for the post of councilor and 190 for the post of reserved councilor. Four city corporation mayors, 118 general councilors and 39 reserved (women) councilors will be elected from among them. 3 thousand 809 rooms of 652 polling stations have been set up for polling. 12 lakh 29 thousand 786 voters will exercise their right to vote in the election. The newly elected mayor and councilors will serve for 5 years.
After nearly five years, voters in the four cities are getting a chance to elect their new mayors. Polling will continue continuously from 8 am to 4 pm. All preparations have already been taken by the Election Commission. The law and order forces have been kept on high alert due to fear of violence. Four city areas have been covered in security blanket. Today will be a general holiday in the constituency. Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is also available in one ward of each city.
This election at the local government level has already turned into a fight between two alliances due to the influence of the country's national politics. The pro-government grand coalition led by Awami League and the opposition coalition supported by BNP have been united in the fight for their single candidate for the post of four city mayors since the beginning. This election is being given great importance from the top leadership of the two major alliances. Just a few months before the 10th National Assembly elections, the results of the four city elections are being considered as a barometer of national politics.
Rajshahi
Voters in Rajshahi city election are 2 lakh 86 thousand 927, of which 1 lakh 43 thousand 395 male voters and 1 lakh 43 thousand 522 female voters. The city has 30 wards, 137 polling stations, 871 polling stations and 107 temporary polling stations. Total voters in Khulna City are 4 lakh 40 thousand 566, out of which 2 lakh 24 thousand 504 male voters and 2 lakh 16 thousand 62 female voters. And the number of wards is 31. There are 288 polling stations here. 1 thousand 428 polling stations. 33 temporary polling booths. 2 lakh 11 thousand 257 voters in Barisal City Corporation area. Among them 1 lakh 7 thousand 625 male voters and 1 lakh 3 thousand 632 female voters, the number of wards in the city corporation is 30. The number of polling stations is 100 and polling booths are 614. 2 lakh 91 thousand 46 voters in Sylhet City Corporation area. 1 lakh 57 thousand 181 male voters and 1 lakh 33 thousand 865 female voters. There are 27 wards, 127 polling stations and 896 polling booths in this city.
Pipeline gas connection was a long time dream of Rajshahi residents. In the 1990s, candidates in various elections promised to bring gas. This time also the first promise of the election manifesto of both the candidates is about gas. In the last city corporation election, gas supply was promised by both the main candidates. When Lytton was finally elected mayor, he took the initiative to supply gas. But got success at the very last stage of the term. Gas supply has already started in the houses. But voters are divided on the issue. A class of voters say that Litton has managed to bring gas. Now everyone will get gas. Another class of voters say everyone should have been gassed before Litton's term ended. But this promise was not fully implemented.
According to the police, in addition to the regular force with armed Ansar members in each center, separate mobile teams of RAB-Police will work in the most important centers. Police, RAB and BGB will have a striking force reserve. Mobile courts will also be expanded. It was also informed that the members of the law and order forces will deal with the immediate situation if there is a disturbance in any center. Meanwhile, necessary materials including ballot papers and ballot boxes have been sent to each center for polling in Rajshahi.
Rajshahi District Returning Office said that 1 thousand 8 ballot boxes have been given for 137 polling stations in 30 wards of Rasik. Out of this 871 ballot boxes have been allocated for 137 centers and 1 additional 137 ballot boxes for each centre. Besides, voting is being done through EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) in 20 booths in three centers of Ward No. 8 of the city.
Barisal
If the candidate supported by his party does not win, the two top leaders of Barisal will come under party pressure, Barisal District Awami League President Abul Hasanat Abdullah and Barisal Metropolitan BNP President Advocate Mujibur Rahman Sarwar MP. Barisal's Awami League and BNP leaders and politically aware circles feel that they may have to answer to the party high command. Therefore, this Saturday's election has become 'important' for these two leaders.
The whole process of setting up 1-shot polling station in Barisal City Corporation election has been completed. Barisal Election Commission expects 2 lakh 10 thousand 849 voters to exercise their voting rights from 8 am to 5 pm. 116 councilors with 3 candidates and 47 women councilors in reserved wards are contesting this election.
According to the Election Commission, security has been ensured in the centers since noon. Voting equipment provided. This time, at least, more attention has been paid to the vulnerable centers. Barisal Metro-Police Commissioner Md. Shamsuuddin said that around 4,500 members of law and order forces have been stationed in the entire city since Friday. Security forces reached the polling stations by afternoon. RAB-BGB and police personnel have intensified patrolling in the city.
Sylhet
139 candidates are contesting in 27 general wards and 35 candidates in 9 reserved wards in Sylhet City Corporation elections. In this election, 7 people submitted nomination papers for the post of mayor, 152 for the post of general councilor and 36 for the post of reserved women councilor. Later, Sylhet Metropolitan BNP General Secretary Md. Abdul Qayyum Jalali Panki, Senior Vice-President Nashim Hossain, Central Vice-President of Volunteer Party Md. Samsuzzaman Zaman and Sylhet Jamaat-e-Islami Metropolitan Amir Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair withdrew from the election with the support of 18 party alliance candidate Ariful Haque Chowdhury. took Besides, 2 people have withdrawn their nomination papers from the general councilor post and 1 woman councilor post. Earlier, the nomination papers of 11 general councilors were canceled due to errors.
Badr Uddin Ahmad Kamran in a press conference alleged that the candidates supported by 18 parties are threatening voters and threatening to create terror. On the other hand, Ariful Haque Chowdhury alleged conspiracy to change the result of the vote through terrorism. At the last moment, the calculation of minority votes, regional votes, religious vote bank, vote wind is going on.
In the Sylhet city election, out of 291 thousand voters, 61 thousand are minority votes. About 70,000 vote banks belong to various religious organizations. There are about one lakh 'non-sylhete votes' under the jurisdiction of several regional associations, including the greater Mymensingh association. The candidate who can secure more votes in these three categories will be the winner in this election. Related sources say that the minority vote bank has always been in favor of Kamran. Many people think that this time too there will not be much exception. However, the Manipuri community may split some votes. On the other hand, among the religious organizations, Jamaat-e-Islami has directly worked for the candidate Ariful Haque Chowdhury supported by 18 parties. Although Anjumane Al Islam (founded by Allama Abdul Latif Chowdhury Fultali), a very influential local organization in Sylhet, did not publicly support any candidate, Maulana Hosamuddin, the president of the organization, said earlier that they do not stay with Jamaat wherever it is, it is their organizational decision. Hefazat Islam Vice President Sirajul Islam Siraji also said that Hefazat is not supporting anyone. Hefazat does not support the use of holy Islam in voting politics.
The number of voters in 27 wards of Sylhet City Corporation election with an area of 27 square kilometers is 2 lakh 91 thousand 46, of which 1 lakh 57 thousand 181 male voters, 1 lakh 33 thousand 865 female voters. Out of 127 polling stations, 88 are vulnerable. The centers will have 896 booths. 3 women are contesting for the post of mayor, 136 for the post of general councilor in 27 wards, 35 for the post of reserved women councilor in 9 wards. According to the Election Commission sources, their extension has been completed. BGB will have 6 platoons, RAB will have 300, police will have 3000 and Ansar members will have 1800. If necessary, the number of law enforcement forces can be increased. Meanwhile, both A.League and BNP parties are expressing satisfaction with the administration's activities. Both parties have no complaint against the administration. Voters are applauding similar expressions of satisfaction with the administration from both parties. Voters say, today is a fire test for A.League-BNP in Sylhet.
Khulna
There is tension in Khulna city now. Despite various fears, the election campaign ended peacefully. It remains to be seen what happens in the end. Will the election end peacefully, or will Khulna, a once-terrorist town, bear its fire. The people of Khulna metropolis are now divided into two groups around the elections. Someone is saying that the people will win the candidate Moniruzzaman Moni supported by 18 parties by responding to the government's 'misgovernance'. Many people disagree and say that the city residents will evaluate the work of Talukdar Abdul Khalek, a candidate supported by 14 parties.
288 presiding officers, 1 thousand 428 assistant presiding officers and 2 thousand 856 polling officers are serving in KCC elections.
This is the first time in the Khulna City elections that out of 31 wards, 1 ward is conducting voting through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) system. 3 thousand 954 male voters and 2 thousand 676 female voters are voting in this system in a total of 5 centers of 8th ward. The centers are – Khulna Vidyut Kendra Secondary School, Goalpara Community Centre, Crescent Secondary School (North), Crescent Secondary School (South) and Crescent Colony Alia Madrasa Centre.
9 thousand members of RAB, BGB, Coast Guard, Battalion Ansar and VDP are deployed for the purpose of fair elections.
Out of 288 polling stations, 22 personnel are deployed in 82 general polling stations and 24 law enforcement personnel are deployed in 206 vulnerable stations. Among them are 7 armed policemen led by an SI, 1 armed battalion Ansar, 2 integrated armed Ansar and 12 VDP members. There are additional 2 battalions of Unsar in the vulnerable center.
Besides, 31 mobile police teams are patrolling the city. 11 striking forces are deployed. 7 Posnatun BGB and 3 Posnatun Coast Guard are in the field to assist them.
Note that 136 councilors are contesting in 31 general wards and 45 candidates are contesting in 10 reserved wards. The total number of voters in KCC this time is 4 lakh 40 thousand 566 people. Among them 2 lakh 24 thousand 504 are male and 2 lakh 16 thousand 62 are female.
Four city elections started at 8 am - will end at 4 pm. It will be known through the counting of votes who is actually the city father of the four divisional city. But what is understood in the speech of the voters is that they want to elect the qualified person. Who is the qualified person will be understood in the result. And that will have to wait till night. Since the polls are city-centric, the results are expected to be available shortly.
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