Staff at an Election Commission office in Sylhet yesterday prepare ballot books and other materials necessary for tomorrow’s city corporation polls.
Outsider campaign workers of the two leading mayor hopefuls campaigned in the city yesterday flouting the deadline set by the Election Commission.
Returning Officer of Sylhet SM Ezharul Haque said they had asked all outsiders to refrain from campaigning beyond Wednesday night.
Awami League-led 14-party alliance has backed Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran and BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance has lent its support to Ariful Haque Chowdhury for the mayoral post of Sylhet City Corporation (SCC).
Saiful Alam, office secretary of district Awami League, said Kamran has joined 10 street rallies yesterday to woo votes.
Lawmakers Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury of Biswanath and Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury of Fenchuganj, Balaganj Upazila Chairman Mostak Ahmed Mofur and Gagannathpur Upazila Chairman Akmol Hossain joined several rallies, among others.
Contacted, Shafiqur said, “Electoral campaign will officially end tonight [last night]. So we are taking part in the last minute campaign.”
Abul Kaher Shamim, chief election agent of Arif, said they have held 18 street rallies in the city yesterday.
Former lawmakers Kolim Uddin Milon of Sunamganj and Dildar Selim of Jaintapur and Bhairab municipality mayor Mohammad Shaheen addressed some of the rallies, he added.
RESULT-AFFECTING FACTORS
Heavy traffic snarls and waterlogging on city roads might adversely affect former city mayor Kamran’s reelection bid in tomorrow’s city polls.
The problems have built up over the years although Kamran, favoured by the Awami League led 18-party alliance, has completed his second straight term in office, with the AL in state power during the second stint.
Voters complained that Kamran have allowed a good number of multistoried shopping malls to be built on busy roads, adding to city traffic woes.
He also ignored the plea from locals for freeing footpaths and roads from hawkers. Rather, the former mayor’s men used to collect tolls from hawkers, alleged local residents.
These issues might just be blessings for BNP favourite Arif in the mayoral race of SCC. A total of 2.91 lakh voters will exercise their franchise tomorrow to elect the next SCC mayor and 27 councillors.
Kamran in different electoral rallies claimed that he has implemented development projects worth Tk500 crore. But the drainage in the city has remained very poor as many streets in Bharthokhola, Chhararpar, Bilopar and Upashahar areas go under water even after a moderate rainfall.
“We had voted for Kamran to get rid of waterlogging. But our fate remains the same as he took no effective measures to end our plight,” said Abdul Hai Saleh, a resident of Bharthokhola.
Being elected mayor in 2003 and 2008, Kamran has built a good relation with cross section of people. He is involved with different cultural and sports organisations, whose members are campaigning for his reelection.
Some senior voters said Kamran on two previous occasions had enjoyed the vote bank of Greater Mymensingh Samity, Greater Rangpur Samity, Khulna Samity and Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parisad in Sylhet. But this time around, the votes would be split between Kamran and Arif.
Greater Mymensingh Samity has around 60,000 votes while Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parisad has around 45,000, claimed the organisations.
Besides, many supporters of Hefajat-e Islam, a Qawmi madrasa based organisation, might side with Arif as fallout of police action on Hefajat men in the capital’s Motijheel on May 5.
BNP insiders said many followers of its missing leader Elias Ali have been inactive in the electioneering as Arif is known as a follower of late BNP leader Saifur Rahman.
Source: The Daily Star
