In line with a High Court (HC) directive, the government deployed 314 troops for security during the by-election to Ramna and Tejgaon seat that fell vacant with the resignation of retired army major Abdul Mannan from parliament and the ruling BNP on March 10.

The army will patrol 103 polling centres in their first ever deployment for vote duty since 1991 in Bangladesh that saw the servicemen acting as a strike force in previous elections.

The non-stop eight-hour voting will begin at 8:00am in the constituency with 3,09,209 registered voters to elect a lawmaker among 22 candidates. Today is a public holiday in the constituency to allow the electorate to cast their votes.

The polls took on a dramatic edge, as the main opposition Awami League (AL) and almost all other opposition parties threw their weight behind Mannan, Bikalpa Dhara candidate, apparently worrying the ruling alliance that fielded Mosaddak Ali Falu.

Political analysts believe the main competition would be limited to Falu, former political secretary to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and Mannan who joined Bikalpa Dhara of former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury.

Earlier, the Election Commission (EC) scheduled the by-polls for June 6, but it hit temporary legal snags as Mannan went to court being denied the election symbol kula (winnowing fan) by the returning officer.

Meantime, Mahi B Chowdhury, son of Badruddoza Chowdhury, swept back to parliament defeating the alliance candidate in the June 6 polls after he resigned as lawmaker on March 10 along with Mannan, alleging the government's failure to deliver, widespread crime and corruption.

The Dhaka-10 by-election grabbed the media spotlight, as it is crucial to the test of popularity of Falu who is new to the election competition, yet close to the prime minister and Mannan, who won victory in 1991 and 2001 elections.

Some 600 local and foreign observers, including 20 diplomats, will visit the centres to observe the much-talked-about polls.

Some newspapers waited hours on end to receive required numbers of press cards, as EC officials refused to issue more than five cards to each newspaper.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Safiur Rahman said the preconditions for a free and fair election were more or less fulfilled and the rest depends on the law-enforcement agencies and candidates.

Mannan hoped he would win, if the polls are free and fair and people can cast their votes without difficulty. Falu said Bikalpa Dhara failed to live up to people's expectations, adding voters would accept the politics of development pursued by the BNP government

Fearing vote rigging, Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina said people would reject the alliance candidate, if voting could be free.

Mannan met Hasina at her Dhanmondi residence yesterday afternoon in a courtesy call to thank her for supporting Bikalpa Dhara.

In 2001 polls, Mannan returned to parliament with 94,975 votes on BNP plank against 72,436 polled by his nearest rival from the AL. He won the 1991 polls defeating AL President Hasina in the constituency.

The EC officials said all preparations, including security arrangement, have been complete to hold fair and peaceful polls. All law-enforcement agencies, including armed forces, armed police, regular police and ansar battalions will work under a magistrate in each polling centre.

LAST MINUTE

The key rival candidates wrapped up their election campaign on Tuesday midnight with hundreds of supporters chanting slogans and carrying placards amid heavy drumbeats in Ramna and Tejgaon.

Although the campaign was officially banned 48 hours ahead of the polls, Mannan and Falu spent the final hours to the election trying to swing votes.

The authorities denied the Bikalpa Dhara candidate permission to organise an election rally, scheduled for Tuesday. Bikalpa Dhara leaders and activists brought out a colourful procession in the area, led by the party chief Badruddoza, in the final lap of campaign.

Although Mannan and Mahi visited the election camp of Falu with flowers and sweets in a show of political amity, both faced violent resistance reportedly from Falu's supporters when they went on a campaign.

THREATS, ARRESTS COERCION GALORE

Allegations are there against the police and influential leaders and ward commissioners of the BNP of picking up, arresting, scaring away activists of Bikalpa Dhara and of Awami League's thana and ward levels. The police also allegedly forced many of them to give undertakings that they won't work for Mannan and stay out of Dhaka during the polls.

Campaigners for the alliance candidate also attacked leaders and workers of the AL and its front organisations when they were on a campaign trail to seek votes for Mannan.

Bikalpa Dhara leaders yesterday alleged the police arrested 20 polling agents of Mannan for today's polls in their homes.

They also alleged the police barred 100 women workers led by Advocate Sahara Khatun, law affairs secretary of the AL, in Monipuri Para from distributing voter slips in favour of Mannan.

Assailants with apparent ties to the BNP assaulted Mannan's supporters during a campaign to distribute voter slips at Karwan Bazar.

Police picked up Abdul Mannan, 62, publicity secretary of AL's ward No. 55 unit, at 1:00am on Tuesday for working for Mannan and took him to Ramna Police Station. They released him 30 hours later only after extracting an undertaking from him that he would not stay in the Ramna-Tejgaon constituency during the election. The ward unit president, Habibur Rahman, 72, was also confined to the police station Monday and released on Tuesday noon after he gave a similar undertaking.

Bikalpa Dhara alleged that police officers and election officials met secretly at Rajarbagh Police Lines on Tuesday to plan vote rigging. But the police said it was a usual briefing.