The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Allegations and counter allegations of rival Mayor candidates of Barisal City Corporation Election are increasing. Election Commi-ssion officials claimed they already started taking action against the accused candidates.

Sources said almost every candidates violating six-hours time -frame for propagation through make especially in the remote areas of the city.

Candidates violating rules of gathering holding inner meeting inside house and political party offices to decide and operate election propagation in favour of their supported candidates.

Sarfuddin Santu, PDP nominated Mayor candidate with 'Umbrella' symbol, alleged that his rival candidates distributing cooked foods (khichuru) in the different slum and lower income group areas including stadium, band and port road areas of the city.

Ebaidul Huq Chan, one of his rival candidates collecting voter ID cards from the Palashpur, Charbaria and other areas of Amanatganj in northern part of the city and calling them to the house of the candidate returning those cards with some tips. Election workers of Umbrella-brand also receiving threatening in different parts of the city, he further said. Chan, the former district BNP secretary and Mayor candidate with 'Ship' symbol, denying allegation against him, said that restriction of daily only 6 hours time for election propagation limited the works within 12 days time-limit.

Some candidates are directly using their political identity, forces, workers and activists in election propagation using huge black money, Chan further alleged. Shawkat Hossain Hiron, the 14 party alliance nominated Mayor candidate with 'Television' symbol, alleged that his rival candidate Santu moving on luxurious car decorated with electronic propagation equipments and tricks to influence the voters and expenditure of election camps and propagation of the major rival candidates already exceeded limits restrict by EC.

Ahsan Habib Kamal, expelled city BNP president and Mayor candidate with 'Clock' symbol also alleged about using political force and black money in election propagations by his rival candidates.

Advocate Enayet Pir Khan, Nagorik Parishad nominated Mayor candidate with ' Fish' symbol, said that as black money, muscle power and political forces are using in this local government election, so only implementing restriction on wall writing or posturing could not attain any major qualative change and would not the benefited for honest and competent candidates. Not only the major Mayor candidates, but also the councilor candidates in different wards of BCC also alleged the same and liable election commission for keeping silence and failure to monitor and taking action against the violators of the election conduct rules.

Enayet Hossain Chowdhury, district secretary of election monitoring organization 'FEMA', said that we are collecting data about pre-election observation including violation of election conduct rules and the facts would be sent to central committee.

Manirul Islam, deputy election commissioner in charge and returning officer of BCC election, said 'EC is monitoring the situation and after receiving any written allegation taking swept action against the violators of the election conduct rules. Already we removed election 4 camps of the councilor and mayor candidates built or encroached on public properties and road sides and calling Sarfuddin Santu to EC office we gave notice to stop violating election conduct rules including using motorized vehicles in election propagation works.

Other candidates also cautioned not to use political identities and not to violate election conduct rules including over expenditures restricted by EC,' the returning officer added.