Roundup: Law enforcers flood streets in preparation for Bangladesh city polls

Security has been heightened in many areas of Bangladesh capital Dhaka and southeastern seaport city Chittagong in preparation for city corporation and municipal polls slated for Tuesday.

A large number of law enforcers have been sighted in streets in Dhaka and Chittagong, some 242 southeast of capital Dhaka.

Travellers along various roads in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country were also stopped and searched by the law enforcers while making their way to their destinations.

The Bangladeshi government has vowed to quell electoral violence.

According to the country's electoral rules, such city corporation and municipal elections are to be held in a non- partisan manner, but political parties indirectly nominate candidates to test their popularity in such local level elections.

Ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, also chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has campaigned for her party-endorsed city corporation and municipal polls candidates, although her arch rival Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Raushon Ershad had to stay away from the campaign due to the electoral code of conduct.

BNP Chief Sunday in a press briefing on Sunday urged people to vote for her party-backed mayor candidates in the polls in Dhaka and Chittagong. "Your vote is the power against the injustice. Use it properly for a silent revolution,"said Khaleda Zia, who sat out the 2014 national polls, and alleged ruling party backed candidates who violate the election code and "use cash to buy votes."

Khaleda asked people to protest if they see any irregularities happening at the voting centres.

In an apparent counter of Khaleda Zia's call for casting votes for her party-backed candidates, Prime Minister Hasina in another briefing on Sunday said "Nobody will respond to the call of a repressor and killer like her."

Hasina also dismissed the BNP chief's claims terming her speech "a flurry of lies."

As per the election rules, the mayoral and councilor candidates have already wrapped up their election campaigns past Sunday midnight.

The Bangladeshi government has declared a general holiday on April 28 in Dhaka and Chittagong city corporation areas.

As part of the Election Commission arrangements, around 50,000 polling agents will perform their duties in the three city corporations on election day.

Mihir Sarwar Morshed and Shah Alam, returning officers of Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corportation, were seen Tuesday handing over election materials, including transparent ballot boxes and ballot papers, to the presiding officers.

A total of 24 mayoral candidates are vying for the DSCC polls. Besides, a total of 1,358 councillor candidates are contesting in the polls to the two city corporations.

Returning officer of Chittagong City Corporation polls Abdul Baten told journalists that most of the polls related materials including adequate indelible ink, rubber stamps, packaging and other accessories also reached in the polling centers.

A total of 12 mayoral candidates, 216 councilors are contesting in the polls in 41 wards of CCC where 62 female reserved councilors are also in the race.

Some 500 magistrates along with around nearly 100,000 law enforcers are reportedly ready to deal with the incidents of election violence and breaching of the election code of conduct in the election areas.

The army will stay inside the cantonment as reserve force.

In Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), there are nearly 2 million voters who will cast their ballots at 889 polling stations; in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), there are over 2.35 million voters who will vote at 1,093 polling stations.

In Chittagong, there are 1.8 million voters who will exercise their voting rights at 719 polling centres.

Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) said it has finalized all the preparation for the upcoming city polls as the election materials including ballot papers have already reached the offices of the returning officers.

Voting will begin from 8:00 a.m. local time and will continue until 4:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

According to a circular issued by the Home Ministry, a total of 536 mobile teams of police and Rapid Action Battalion will remain on patrol, while 66 other teams of police are working as striking forces taking positions along different strategic points in the two cities.

Besides, 100 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and seven platoons of Coast Guard have been deployed in the three city corporations. Endi