The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rafiqul Islam Azad

Ending all speculations, the much-talked-about elections to four city corporations and nine pourasabhas are being held today amid festivity.

The city corporations are Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet and pourasabhas are Naohata, Dupchachia, Chuadanga, Sreepur, Manikganj, Fulbaria, Shariatpur, Golapganj and Sitakunda.

A total of 1,600 candidates are vying in 13 election areas against 278 posts comprising mayors, general councillors and women reserved councillors.

A total of 13,67,662 voters in 13 elections areas would franchise their voting rights. Of them, 7,00,919 are male and 6,66,743 are female voters.

The polling will start at 8:00am and continue till 4:00pm without any break.

The voters of the election areas would exercise their voting rights using newly prepared ID cards, first time of its kind in the country. However, Election Commission sources, however, said that the ID cards would not be necessary to exercise the voting rights this time.

This is the first election under the present caretaker government that assumed power about one and half years ago with the 1/11 changeover.

The elections are being held under the state of emergency, also first time in the country, with some of its rules relaxed.

The government has taken a three-tier security measures to maintain law and order during the polls. In particular, additional security measures have been taken in vulnerable areas.

Some 20,000 law-enforcers would be on duty to maintain law and order during the elections. No BDR or Army personnel would be deployed in the polling centres, but they would be available, if necessary.

Out of 579 polling centres in four city corporations, some 218 centres have been identified as vulnerable. There are 65 vulnerable polling centres among 136 in nine pourasabhas.

The elections are being considered as the test case for the present caretaker government as the polls going to be for the first time under this government that assumed power about one and half years ago with the 1/11 changeover.

The success or failure of the elections might influence the national polls slated for third week of December.

The Election Commission has already completed its all-out preparations to hold the elections in a free, fair and neutral manner.

About 6,000 local and foreign observers would observe the elections.

Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday told reporters that the Election Commission (EC) is waiting to present better elections compared to the past.

He hoped that the elections would bring a significant change in the electioneering culture.

The EC is considering the election as a milestone in bringing change in the election culture and it wants to present the elections as a model in the country and abroad.

After 20 days of hectic campaigns, the candidates are now maintaining personal contacts with voters as the election campaigns have ended Saturday midnight.

The government has already declared Monday as holiday in the city corporations and pourasabhas areas so that voters can cast their votes easily.

The CEC is likely to visit Manikganj to observe polling while Election Commissioners Muhammad Sohul Hussain in Sylhet and Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain in Sreepur.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up a control room to monitor law and order during the polls.

The control room started functioning yesterday morning and will remain open till 8:00pm on Tuesday. The control room would swing into action on information of disturbances from any polling area, ministry sources said.

People have been asked to contact the control room over telephone on the following numbers -9571686 and fax 9571682, if necessary.

Besides, mobile courts will function in and around polling centres to deal with offenders.

Our Rajshahi Correspondent Shamsun Nahar reports that 15 candidates are contesting for one mayoral post while 203 candidates against 30 general councillors and 63 women candidates against 10 reserved councillor posts.

Among the mayoral candidates AHM Khairuzzaman Liton of AL, Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul of BNP backed by Jamaat and Rezaunnabi Dudu of BNP are the top favourites among the voters.

Our Khulna Correspondent Nasima Muneer reports that 6 candidates are contesting for one mayoral post while 207 candidates against 31 general councillors and 46 women candidates against 10 reserved councillor posts.

Of the mayoral candidates, the fight among the Awami League led 14-party alliance candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque and BNP-Jamaat led 4-party alliance candidate and incumbent Mayor Moniruzzaman Mony might be neck-to-neck.

Our Barisal Correspondent Tapan Chakrabarty reports that 10 candidates are contesting for one mayoral post while 145 candidates against 30 general councillors and 39 women candidates against 10 reserved councillor posts.

Of the mayoral candidates, contest might limited among four candidates. They are Shawkat Hossain Hiron of Awami League, Ahsan Habib Kamal of BNP supported by Jamaat, Ebaidul Haque Chan of BNP and Sharfuddin Santu of PDP.

Sylhet Correspondent Basir Uddin reports that 15 candidates are contesting for one mayoral post while 197 candidates against 27 general councillors and 46 women candidates against 9 reserved councillor posts.

The main contest for mayoral post might be limited between two candidates. They are incumbent Mayor Badruddin Kamran, now in jail on a corruption case, of Awami League and MA Haque of BNP backed by Jamaat.