Security fears in Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) election have peaked as rival candidates appeared ready to flex their muscles to wrest victory in the crucial poll on December 22, with the Election Commission saying 137 of 178 polling centers are vulnerable to violence.
As part of the EC's plan to deploy a total of 5,600 security forces for the poll, 22 platoons of paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) already moved into the tense industrial city on Monday afternoon.
Returning Officer Nuruzzaman Talukdar told reporters the EC planned high pitched measures to prevent violence in the NCC poll where Selina Hayat Ivy of ruling Awami League and advocate Sakhawat Hossain Khan of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are vying for the post of Mayor in what analysts say would be a see-saw battle if the polling is impartial and credible.
BNP asked for deployment of Army in the poll but the EC has ruled it out as unnecessary.
As campaigning reached feverish level on Monday, election authorities, using loud speakers, announced a ban on outsiders from entering the city ahead of the election. They say a "whole range of measures" will be adopted to hold a free and fair election on Thursday.
Every polling station will be provided 24 security personnel and more in the '"vulnerable" 137 centers, said Returning Officer Nuruzzaman Talukder.
"As many as 5,600 security personnel will be deployed for the polls...we have received a list of 137 vulnerable centers from an intelligence agency. Security measures have been planned keeping those centers in mind," he said.
Talukder, a deputy secretary with the EC, said patrolling at vulnerable polling stations will be intensified as the situation there 'might change any time'. Non-residents will have to leave the city by Monday midnight. The official campaign ends on Tuesday.
"Any kind of campaigning, including rallies, procession will be prohibited 32 hours before the polls start," said Talukder, the top official for the Dec 22 polls. Amid the BNP's call to deploy the army, he said he was satisfied with the law and order situation.
"Between Monday and Wednesday, the BGB, RAB, regular police, armed police, Ansar and coastguard will deploy their men. The industrial police will also be on duty. The patrols will rush to wherever an incident happens," said Talukder.
The BNP, which had been demanding troops for the Narayanganj City polls, has rubbished the decision to deploy border guards as 'hilarious'.
"We came to know the BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh) has been deployed as strike force. I find it hilarious," the party's mayor candidate Shakhawat Hossain Khan told the media on Monday while campaigning.
"What does a strike force mean? They will rush to wherever an incident happens without any delay. It will not work if they reach after everything is over. Our demand was to prevent untoward incidents," said Khan.
The NCC election is being held on party lines for the first time. As many as seven candidates are contesting for mayor, 156 for councillors and another 38 for reserved councillors.
Speaking to the media, the BNP candidate claimed that the ruling Awami League was intimidating voters.
"We have been saying from the beginning that we want a free, fair and credible election, which requires maintenance of law and order. We do not think that has improved," said Khan.
Reiterating the BNP's demand for army deployment, he said "The people would have been relieved if the army was deployed. I think, it's still possible and needs to be done immediately."
The main opposition in the parliament, Jatiya Party, on Monday extended its support to the ruling Awami League-backed mayoral candidate for NCC election Selina Hayat Ivy.
"We have not nominated anyone to contest the Narayanganj City Corporation polls. So, as part of the party decision, we have extended our support to Ivy," JP Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader said on Monday.
Leaders of 14-party also visited Narayanganj Monday and took part in the poll campaign urging the voters to cast their ballots for the AL-backed candidate Ivy.
Meanwhile, NCC mayor aspirant Rashed Ferdous, who was expelled from Bangladesh Kalyan Party (BKP), pulled out from the election on Monday.
He extended his support to the BNP-backed candidate Shakhawat Hossain while making the announcement at a press conference in Narayanganj on Monday afternoon.
"From my loyalty to the party, I'm withdrawing my candidature and supporting the BNP-backed candidate Shakhawat Hossain," he told reporters at the BNP's media cell office in the city.
His move followed Kamal Prodhan of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who also withdrew his candidature on Saturday.
Earlier, both Rashed and Kamal were expelled from their respective parties for their candidatures violating party decision.
All components of the 20-party alliance led by BNP chief Khaleda Zia, including BKP and LDP, decided to work for the victory of BNP-backed mayor candidate in the NCC election scheduled for December 22.
The BNP, which now has no presence in Parliament after boycotting the 2014 general election, had been demanding army for the NCC polls, but the Election Commission has ruled it out saying the law and order situation was 'better than normal.'
