Electioneering ends tonight

As violence continues centring the municipality polls, additional law enforcers and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been deployed from this morning to maintain law and order in the areas going to polls.

In order to prevent irregularities during the elections to be held on Wednesday, the EC has directed returning officers (ROs) to suspend voting if any polling station got taken over.

The commission yesterday asked two Awami League lawmakers to leave electoral areas. The authorities also asked for the withdrawal of officers-in-charge of three police stations and to change an RO for their suspected bias towards certain candidates.

In another development, a BNP-nominated mayor aspirant in Chittagong verbally withdrew himself from the race alleging "pressure".

The three-week long electoral campaign ends with the clock striking 12 tonight and restrictions on vehicular movement and outsiders' in the polls areas will take effect.

'FORCED TO GO INACTIVE'

In Satkania municipality of Chittagong, BNP's mayor candidate Rafiqul Alam yesterday announced that he was becoming inactive in the electoral race in the face of "false cases" and "pressure".

He, however, did not mention where the pressure was from.

Sources at the local BNP told The Daily

Star that Rafiqul felt embarrassed as his daughter-in-law filed a case against him and other family members under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act on December 24.

On Saturday, two of his business partners sat with him and told him that they would negotiate with his daughter-in-law if he quit the race.

"To get rid of the false case and to save my leaders and activists [from harassment], I am withdrawing myself from the election,” he said at a press conference.

However, with the nomination withdrawal deadline expired on December 13. His electoral symbol will still be on the ballot papers.

The other mayor aspirants in the municipality are AL-endorsed Mohammad Jobayer and Jatiya Party-backed Md Yusuf Chowdhury.

VIOLENCE CONTINUES

At least 30 people, including a journalist, were injured in election violence at Sujanagar in Pabna, Hatiya in Noakhali, Trishal in Mymensingh, and Sitakunda in Chittagong.

In Daudkandi municipality of Comilla, AL lawmaker Subid Ali Bhuiyan's nephew Iqbal Bhuiyan allegedly assaulted the BNP's mayor candidate in the upazila complex area.

Police detained Iqbal but released him a few hours later.

2 MPs GET NOTICE

The EC sent letters to AL lawmakers Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu (Barguna-1) and Showkat Hasanur Rahman Rimon (Barguna-2) asking them to leave electoral areas "within the shortest possible time", said EC officials.

Otherwise, the EC might take actions against them, they said.

The electoral code of conduct does not allow ministers and MPs to stay in the polls areas from the announcement of the polls schedule until the voting was done.

In the first week of December, Rimon received a show-cause notice from the EC for violating the electoral code. He apologised and pledged not to breach elections laws again.

ADDITIONAL LAW ENFORCERS

Apart from BGB members, mobile and strike forces comprised of police, Ansar, the Armed Police Battalion, and the Rapid Action Battalion have been deployed in municipalities from this morning.

The additional law enforcers will stay there until Thursday.

Instead of BGB, Coast Guard members have been deployed in six costal municipalities -- Muladi and Mehendiganj of Barisal, Patharghata of Barguna, Ramgati of Laxmipur, Sandwip of Chittagong and Hatiya of Noakhali.

BNP'S DEMAND

BNP yesterday urged the EC to take necessary measures to hold the municipality polls in a free and fair manner "for the sake of country's democracy".

"Many BNP leaders and activities have come under attack by the ruling party men in different municipalities," said BNP Standing Committee Member Moyeen Khan after a five-member delegation led by him met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday.

The CEC later told reporters that the commission has taken every step necessary to hold fair polls.

OFFICIALS WITHDRAWN

The EC has asked the authorities to withdraw the OCs of Pabna's Jagannathpur, Noakhali's Hatiya, and Mymensingh's Ishwarganj police stations, accusing them of working in favour of the AL-nominated candidates there.

The commission also warned the OC of Phulpur Police Station in Mymensingh on the same ground.

On December 14, the police authorities were asked to withdraw the OCs of Uttar Matlab in Chandpur, Kulaura in Moulvibazar, and Kalkini in Madaripur.

The commission has decided to change the RO of Joypurhat municipality following allegations of irregularities, said EC officials.

Earlier, the RO of Kalaroa municipality in Satkhira was suspended on December 20 for the same reason.

RESTRICTIONS

Outsiders will not be allowed to stay in the areas going to polls after midnight today and until the voting ended.

The EC has placed restrictions on the movement of all motorised vehicles -- including auto-rickshaws, taxis, human hauliers, microbuses, cars, pick-ups, buses, trucks, launches and speedboats -- in the polling areas for 24 hours from 12:01am on Wednesday.

Besides, motorcycle movement in the polling areas has already been restricted from 12:01am today and it will stay in place until 6:00am Thursday.