Election campaign of Rangpur City ends at midnight, EC ready for polling

Rangpur City Corporation (RASIK) elections are going to be held on December 27 (Tuesday). Candidates are currently busy campaigning for this election which will be held for the third time. However, this campaign is being completed by midnight today. As the election day is approaching, the election commission has also increased its activity.

In the meantime, the EC has made preparations to conduct free, fair and impartial elections. Mock voting was held in each ward of Rangpur City last Friday and Saturday. It gives the voters a clear idea about voting in EVMs.

According to sources in the Election Department, voting will be done in EVMs in all centers during this time. For this, 3 thousand EVMs have been kept ready in Rangpur. The work of installing CCTV cameras in each polling station is also nearing completion. 49 magistrates will be on duty for five days before and after polling in the city corporation elections. Among them there will be 33 executive magistrates and 16 judicial magistrates.

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Besides, the Executive Magistrates will operate Mobile Courts to prevent electoral crimes, perform duties with BGB's striking force and maintain law and order in accordance with Mobile Court Act-2009 and Local (City Corporation) Act-2009 and Local Government (City Corporation) Election Rules-2010.

Last Wednesday, through a circular from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the carrying of firearms has been banned for the next five days from December 25 (Sunday). And the EC has banned the movement of motorcycles in the electoral area from 25 December 12 midnight to 28 December 12 midnight.

There are total 270 candidates in Rangpur City Corporation election. 9 people are contesting for the post of mayor, 192 people for the post of general councilor and 69 people for the post of reserved councilor.

9 candidates for the post of mayor are - Advocate Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia of Awami League, Mustafizar Rahman Mostafa of Jatiya Party, Jasad-Inur Shafiar Rahman, Amiruzzaman Pial of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Tauhidur Rahman Mandal Raju of Khilafat Majlish, Khorshed Alam Khokon of Zaker Party, Abu Raihan of Bangladesh Congress and Mehdi Hasan Boni and Latifur Rahman are independent candidates.

Two lakh 12 thousand 302 male and two lakh 14 thousand 167 human male voters will get a chance to exercise their right to vote in 229 centers. The last election was held in this city on 21 December 2017. The first meeting of the elected corporation was held on February 19, 2018.

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Meanwhile, Awami League candidate Advocate Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia did not engage in public relations even though the candidates were busy with last-minute campaigning. No one in the city has been notified of mass communication on behalf of the boat symbol.

Later it was found that the candidate of the boat symbol is staying in Dhaka to attend the party council. But Jatiya Party mayoral candidate Mustafizar Rahman Mostafa held a public meeting at Press Club, Jahas Sanstha Mor area on Saturday morning.

At this time, he said, he believes that the voters of various parties will vote for the plow brand in the election. According to the decision not to go to any election under this government, BNP did not participate in this poll and Jamaat candidate collected nominations, but later came away from the election on a party decision. He also believes that since there is no candidate of the BNP alliance, their votes will be plowed.

Jatiya Party Vice Chairman SM Yasir, Metropolitan Committee Senior Vice President Lokman Hossain, Vice President Jahedul Islam, District Japa Member Secretary Abdur Razzak, Election Management Committee Editor Advocate Syed Farooq Alam, Japa Central Committee Member Hasanuzzaman Nazim, Japa Student Association Leaders and activists of Jatiya Party including President Yasin Arafat Asif.

Councilor candidate fined Tk 10,000: The election commission has fined 10,000 Tk on ward 15 councilor candidate Zakaria Alam Shiplu for violating the code of conduct in Rangpur City Corporation elections. Abdul Baten, the returning officer of Rangpur City Corporation, confirmed the matter yesterday.

Assistant Returning Officer Manjurul Hasan said that this fine was imposed because the activists and supporters of Ward 15 councilor candidate Zakaria Alam Shiplu did not follow the code of conduct in the campaign and held a rally. District Administration Office Executive Magistrate Maliha Khanam issued the fine.

Youth Dal leader expelled for taking part in councilor post: Liton Parvez, the general editor of Mahanagar Jubo Dal, has been expelled from the party for taking part in councilor post in Rangpur City Corporation elections. Central Youth Dal has announced to expel him.

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Rangpur Metropolitan BNP convener Shamsuzzaman Shamu confirmed the matter. Election of Rangpur City Corporation will be held on December 27. Disregarding the party decision, Liton Parvez is contesting for the post of the 23rd Ward Councilor of the city. He was expelled from the Jubo Dal for taking part in the elections and withdrawing his nomination papers despite repeated requests from the top level of BNP to withdraw from the elections. The instructions in this regard were issued on Friday.