ZCZC
BSS-12
RpCC-POLLS (with picture)
All set to hold Rangpur City Corporation poll tomorrow
RANGPUR, Dec 20, 2017 (BSS) – Election to Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC)
will be held tomorrow amid tight security and festivity as the authorities
concerned have already completed all necessary preparations.
A total of seven are going to contest for the mayoral posts in the
election of the city corporation.
But voters are expecting a triangular contest for the mayoral post among
Awami League (AL)-nominated candidate Sarfuddin Ahmed Jhantu (boat), Jatiya
Party-nominated Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa (plough) and BNP-nominated
candidate Kawser Zaman Babla (sheaf of paddy).
The four other mayor candidates are Selim Akhter of National Peoples Party
(mango), ATM Golam Mostafa of Islami Shasontantra Andolan Bangladesh (hand
fan), Abdul Kuddus of BSD (ladder) and independent Hossain Mokbul Shahriar
(elephant).
Earlier, the competing 283 candidates, including seven for mayoral post,
211 candidates for 33 general councilor posts and 65 candidates for 11
reserved female councilor posts ended their hectic last moment electioneering
yesterday night.
Meanwhile, Police Super Mizanur Rahman at a press briefing here today
informed journalists that four-tier security measures have been taken for
peacefully holding of RpCC polls.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) for Rangpur Range Khondker Golam Faruk
distributed election stuff including transparent ballot boxes and ballot
papers among people concerned at Police Community Hall here today morning.
At the event, he gave necessary directions to election officials and
members of security forces for properly holding the polls.
Returning Officer Subhash Chandra Sarkar and high officials were present on
the occasion.
Talking to BSS, the Subash said all 193 presiding officers, 1,122 assistant
presiding officers and 2,244 polling officers with transparent ballot boxes,
ballot papers, inputs and security forces already reached all 193 polling
centres in RpCC area by 3pm today.
Polling will begin from 8am tomorrow in all 1,122 polling booths of 193
polling centres under all 33 wards in RpCC area and continue till 4pm
uninterruptedly. Counting of votes will start subsequently at Police
Community Hall in the city. “Twenty-four security forces including 10 armed
police personnel and 14 members of Ansar-VDP have been deployed at each of
the 108 important polling centres while 22 security personnel at each of the
other 85 normal poling centres,” Sarkar added.
Around 5,500 members of law enforcement agencies including police, Rapid
Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Ansar-VDP have been
deployed for holding the RpCC polls peacefully.
Thirty-three teams of police, 33 roving teams of RAB with two more teams
at the base camp, 18 platoons of BGB divided in 36 roving teams with three
platoons at the base camp have been put on duty as striking and standby
forces.
Thirty-three executive magistrates will lead 33 mobile courts and 11 Senior
Judicial Magistrates lead 11 summery courts to conduct summery trials for
violation of election rules. In addition, plainclothes security personnel of
RAB, police and intelligence will remain on duty to ensure maximum degree of
security for holding RpCC polls peacefully.
“We are using electronic voting machines (EVM) for 2,059 voters at six
booths of Begum Rokeya Government College polling centre on experimental
basis,” the he said adding that closed circuit cameras have been set up in
three more polling centres.
Assistant Returning Officer Kamrul Islam said a total of 393,994 voters
including 196,356 males and 197,638 females would apply their voting rights.
Divisional Commissioner Kazi Hasan Ahmed, the DIG, returning officer and
other officials are monitoring the overall situation and providing necessary
directions to the officials for peaceful holding of the RpCC polls in a free,
fair and transparent manner.
BSS/MI/RY/1610 hrs