Ivy eyes win, Taimur alleges harassment

*N'ganj goes to polls today amid tight security

* Over  5,000 members of law enforcement agencies have been deployed 

* CCTV cameras to be switched off inside booths

* Outsiders will not be allowed in Narayanganj during the mayoral elections

The Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls  is being held today (Sunday)  and  the voting will continue from 8 am to 4 pm without  any break.  The Election Commission (EC) has already taken all preparations to hold the elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner, reports BSS. 

The polls will be held through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). So, 2  thousand 912 EVM machines have been sent to Narayanganj, on the outskirts of  the capital.  Each center will have one and a half times more EVM than required.  Election materials started reaching the polling centres from Saturday morning. 

The electioneering ended at 12 midnight on Friday.  The election commission has instructed outsiders to leave the city areas. Motorcycle plying has been banned in the area since Friday night.

Fourteen judicial magistrates have been appointed to conduct election  peacefully. Under the Penal Code, they will be able to carry out brief trials  with filing case.  Around 5 lakh 17 thousand 362 voters will exercise their voting rights at  1333 polling booths in 192 centers of 26 wards. 

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has allowed 42 observers from 9  organizations to monitor the election. The organizations are: National Election Observation Council (JANIPP),  SAARC Human Rights Foundation, Legal Aid Center, Foundation, Social  Development Efforts, Trinamool Development Organization, Taltala Youth  Development Organization, Rehaf Foundation, BB Asia Foundation and Human  Rights and Social Development Organization-MOSUS. 

Adequate security measures have also been taken on the election.     More than 5,000 members of the law enforcement agencies will be deployed  to ensure security while each center will have 28 security personnel. Returning Officer Mahfuza Akter said no centre was identified as risky as  all the centers are being taken into special consideration. 

One sub-inspector (SI) will lead the five policemen's team in each centre.  In addition, eight male and four female Ansar members will also be deployed  to ensure security. A total of 26 police units will be on duty as striking force during the  elections. 

Apart from this, there will be 64 mobile teams of the police as each team  will have five members. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will deploy its 24  platoon troops. The returning officer said that Narayanganj deputy commissioner has sent  demand note for more 6 platoons.

Meanwhile, Awami League backed candidate with the symbol of 'Boat' said:" Many groups may become united to commit violence. Each of my elections here was very challenging. None of the previous elections was out of challenge. This election is also going to be a challenging one for various reasons," she said while addressing a press conference at her home in Narayanganj city on Friday morning.

She further Ivy said, "All the opposition groups have become united to defeat me. Now, the groups may be from inside, or from outside. They all have become united to defeat me in the election. They all have planned to make the election questionable by creating troubles on the election day, because everyone knows that my victory is certain."

On the other hand, independent mayoral candidate Taimur Alam Khondker has said how a fair election would be held if such arrests and harassment continue? He said:“Arrest and harassment of my leaders and activists are still continuing even day before the election. I seek the intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop these arrests and harassment,” said Taimur while addressing at a press conference at his residence on Saturday noon.  Taimur at the press conference vowed that he will continue the election unto death.

N’ganj Correspondent adds: All CCTV cameras (if any) inside polling booths will be switched off during the Narayaganj City Corporation election for the sake of privacy, said Returning Officer Mahfuza Akter on Saturday. She said this while distributing election materials at Modern High School in Narayanganj city on Saturday, a day before the election.

"There will be no privacy if CCTV cameras work inside polling booths. CCTV cameras are not available at all the booths. If any booths have a camera, it will be switched off," added the returning officer. The voters will go to the centre maintaining health rules and vote for their favourite candidates, she said. 

Asked if any electronic voting machine (EVM) malfunctions during the election, the returning officer said a 48-member technical team has been divided into three groups for support regarding such issues.

Another report says: No outsiders will be allowed in Narayanganj on the day of the city civic polls and all residents should carry their national identity (NID) cards with them, the district police chief has said. "The residents of Naraynaganj must keep their NID cards with them as no outsiders will be allowed in the district on the voting day,” SP Zaidul Alam told reporters at Narayanganj Police Lines on Saturday.

A three-tier security network would be set up for Narayanganj City Corporation polls, slated for Sunday, the SP said.  "Adequate law and enforcement agencies have already been deployed for ensuring law and order in the city, and 14 platoons of Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) will be deployed on the polling day," he said. Seeking cooperation from the people, candidates and their followers, the SP said, "We want to gift the people of the country a model election in a festive atmosphere".

He said 15 to 17 Ansar members led by led by five to six policemen will be deployed at each centre. "That means 20 to 22 -- in some cases 23 -- lawmen will be present there," the SP added.

"Each ward will have three APBn mobile teams, one striking force, one Rab team. We will try to deploy one platoon BGB in each ward also," added the SP. "We will bring every polling centre, every neighbourhood in an electoral safety zone. The district magistrate with us has given 27 executive magistrates. Besides, 14 judicial magistrates will be working round the clock," Zaidul also said. "Already 14 platoons of BGB have been deployed, we are thinking to add about six more platoons," he said.

Narayanganj turned into a city of procession as both mayoral and councillor candidates staged showdowns to demonstrate their popularity at the last moment of electioneering on Friday. Although seven candidates are running for the post of the mayor, ruling party nominee Ivy and her principal rival -- advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker, a veteran BNP leader who is fighting as an independent -- have stolen all the attention. People are expecting a tight contest between them.