The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Awami League (AL) presidium members Begum Matia Chowdhury and Abdur Razzak yesterday expressed doubt over the credibility and impartiality of the City Corporation and municipal elections to be held today.

Narrating their tour experience at different election centers, the two Al presidium members said they found voters panic stricken at many electoral areas for several reasons.

Razzak was critical of the local administration for their failure to create congenial atmosphere in the areas where the local government poll will take place. Most of the voters were found shaky to go to the polling centers, he said and adding that Awami league has urged the government time and again to create congenial atmosphere so that the voters can exercise their right of franchise without any fear.

Motia Chowdhury alleged that the government was trying to influence the results of the polls in various ways.

They were speaking at a press briefing at the Gulshan residence of the Al acting President Zillur Rahman in which the latter demanded immediate release of former Aviation and Tourism Minister and AL central leader Engr. Mosharraf Hossain.

Zillur said that the government was intentionally keeping Mosharraf behind the bar to spoil his political career while the High Court granted his bail in two graft cases. Why Mosharraf should be kept behind the bar when the BNP and Jamaat leaders were released in the same case, he asked.

He further said, "The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) identified the LGED ministry as the most corrupt ministry during the BNP-Jamaat Government tenure. BNP Secretary General Mannan Bhuyan, who was in charge of this ministry, was freed and BNP activists brought out procession in front of the jail violating the emergency rule. But the AL leaders are not being released due to some lame charges."

He termed this discriminatory and double standard of the Government.

AL has been asking the Government from the beginning that the anti corruption drive should not be converted into a political drive yet the drive has political colour, he noted.

He warned that it would not augur well for the country.

About the city corporation polls scheduled to be held today, Zillur expressed firm confidence that AL led 14-party alliance would certainly succeed in four city corporations, if the election was held in a free, fair and credible manner.