Exercise franchise: AL; boycott and resist: BNP
With tension, disappointment and fear of violence running high across the country, the Election Commission (EC) is all set to hold the 10th parliamentary poll today amid Opposition threat of resistance.
The Awami League yesterday urged the voters to exercise their franchise without fear. On the other hand, the opposition, which is boycotting the election, called upon all to stay away and resist the polls that will take place from 8am to 5pm.
The Awami League’s election-steering committee co-chairman and the party’s adviser, HT Imam, told reporters that the “poll may not be completely peaceful.”
According to the EC voting will be held in 147 constituencies out of a total of 300, as candidates in 153 seats have already been elected unopposed. There will be no polling in five districts — Chandpur, Shariatpur, Rajbari, Madaripur and Joypurhat — because the candidates have been elected uncontested. Except these five districts, the government has announced public holidays in the remaining 59.
The EC has taken strong security measures, deploying law enforcers in each of the polling stations, besides personnel of the armed forces, Border Guard Bangladesh and the Rapid Action Battalion.
“We are worried, but we are not responsible for the situation. Everybody knows the role of an EC. You and the people are watching the situation, the people will tell who are responsible,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed told the media on Saturday. To ensure peaceful polling, the EC has deployed the army for 15 days.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday has called upon the people irrespective of political affiliations and religion to boycott Sunday’s election, which is taking place without participation of major opposition parties.
BNP chairperson’s adviser Dr M Osman Faruk made the call at a press conference at his Gulshan residence yesterday, a day before holding of the 1oth Parliament elections.
He termed the January 5 polls a ‘Barbie wedding dress up game’ and urged the people to say ‘no’ to farcical election and ‘yes’ to democracy. Replying to a question, the BNP leader said sending of election observers by Indian and Bhutan is ‘unexpected and unfortunate’ when most others have declined to send their observers to monitor the polls.
He said the responsibility of the 18-party leaders and activists is to motivate people against going to the polling centres for exercising their franchise.
Meanwhile, Awami League advisory council member Tofail Ahmed on Saturday accused BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman of instigating violence in the country through Jamaat-Shibir men.
“The elections must be held tomorrow (Sunday). No one can resist the polls,” he told a press conference at AL President’s Dhanmondi office.
Tofail also said, “BNP-Jamaat has no strength to thwart the January 5 elections. The people of the country have already stood against this evil force.”
The AL leader also said the opposition had claimed that they would foil the polls and there would be mass upsurge in the country against the government. “Nothing has happened as people rejected their so-called movement.”
Mentioning that there had been no lack of effort from the government side to bring the opposition to the election, Tofail said BNP did not take part in the polls as its ally Jamaat’s registration has been cancelled following a court order.
Meanwhile, the health department has asked all government medical colleges, specialised, district and upazila hospitals to remain alert and prepare for emergency services in case there is any casualty or injury resulting from violence.
The main opposition BNP and its allies have Awami League According to the EC plan, the number of law enforcers in the metropolitan and remote areas would range between 16 and 19. The commission plans to deploy 15 law enforcers, including two police and two armed Ansars, for every polling station outside metropolitan areas, while the number of law enforcers will be 16 at important polling stations.
The EC anticipates that there may be fewer voters this time than the controversial February 15, 1996 election, in which the turnout was 26 per cent.
Terming the law and order situation as “critical”, the EC secretary, Dr Mohammad Sadik, said the commission would ensure maximum security for the voters.
About 390 candidates belonging to 12 registered political parties out of 40 will be contesting the poll. A total of 91,213 polling booths have been set up at 18,209 polling centres across the country.
EC officials said about 50,000 members of the armed forces are on election duty. A total of about 17,000 BGB personnel are on election duty from Wednesday. Over 8,000 members of the Rapid Action Battalion, over 2,20,000 Ansars and about 80,000 police personnel will be on duty. Besides, more than 400 executive magistrates will be there to prevent trouble on polling day.
According to our correspondent, miscreants torched seven polling centres in five districts on Friday night and early Saturday. The five districts are Laxmipur, Brahmanbaria, Bagerhat, Pirojpur and Rajshahi.
-With The Independent input
