Voters of the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) have been passing their days amid extreme anxiety due to excessive presence of the outsiders in the city ahead of the election.
Particularly the voters of the wards on the Bhairab River and the Rupsha River, which are considered to be most vulnerable, have to pass the time amid most anxiety. Ward No 3 councillor candidate Sheikh Gaus Hossain said unknown people vandalised his election camp twice in Palpara area on Wednesday.
Four supporters of him were also injured in the attack.
Khalid Hossain, son of a ward No 7 councillor candidate Sheikh Selim Ahmed, alleged outsiders are snatching voter ID cards from slum people in the ward and the matter has already been informed to the local thana.
At the same ward, another councillor candidate M Sultan Ahmed alleged that presence of outsiders increases abruptly there from afternoon to evening daily.
Consequently, panic has spread among the local voters ahead of the upcoming election.
M Faroque Hilton, a councillor candidate of ward No 10, alleged that his supporters were facing threats from unknown people while joining campaign.
Sheikh Soikat Ali, a councillor candidate of ward No 6, said election enthusiasm is less in the area this time compared to the previous election as the voters cannot express their opinions independently.
Locals told him that outsiders in 7/8 motorcycles are showing down continuously in the ward.
SM Humayun Kabir, a councillor candidate of ward No 5, alleged his supporters are continuously receiving many provocative remarks from unknown people.
Musaddek Hossain Babul, a councillor candidate of ward No 13, alleged new gangs have appeared at important points of the ward centering the election and they (gang members) are brandishing weapons to locals.
Musaddek said the outsiders are mainly coming from the other side of the nearby Bhairab River.
Contacted, Akhter Hossain, officer-in-charge of Daulatpur Police Station, said none lodged any complaint in connection with the incident of vandalism in the ward No 3 though he knew about it unofficially.
Officer-in-charge Sukumer Biswas of Khalispur Police Station said he was not informed about frequent visit of the outsiders there.
He assured of looking into the matter seriously.
-With The Independent input
