GAZIPUR, June 26, 2018 (BSS) – The Election Commission (EC) has completed
all necessary preparations to hold the elections to Gazipur City Corporation
today.
“All necessary preparations have already been taken to hold the
elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner,” EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmad
told BSS on Monday.
The elections will be held from 8 am to 4 pm without any break, he said,
adding that general holiday has been announced on Tuesday in the city
corporation area and all factories and industries, including garments, in the
area will remain closed on the day.
According to Returning Officer’s office, a total of 345 candidates,
including seven for mayoral post, 254 for councilor posts, 83 for reserved
posts for women, are vying in the polls while 11,37,736 voters will exercise
their franchises at 425 polling stations in 57 wards across the city
corporation area.
The mayor candidates are ruling Awami League nominated Md Jahangir Alam,
BNP nominated Hasan Uddin Sarker, Islami Oikkya Jote nominated Fazlur Rahman
(Minar), Islami Andolan Bangladesh nominated Md Nasir Uddin, Bangladesh
Islami Front nominated Md Jalal Uddin, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB)
nominated Md Ruhul Amin and independent candidate Farid Ahmed.
According to the EC, for the first time, the EC has taken an initiative
to inform about the situation of polling stations immediately. The presiding
officers will inform the EC Secretariat about overall situation of their
respective voting centres through SMS in every two hours.
The commission will take necessary measures on the basis of presiding
officers SMS immediately, the EC source said.
Besides, EC teams in plainclothes will monitor the polling situation and
activities of the election officials at every station. They would interfere
in the polls immediately, inform the Returning Officer (RO) and inform the
EC, if any irregularities take place in the polling stations.
Returning Officer (RO) Rakib Uddin Mondol said all stuffs have already
been reached their respective polling stations.
Three-tier security measures have been taken to ensure security during
the election, Mondol said, adding that about 10,500 members of law
enforcement agencies, including police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border
Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Ansar, have already been deployed in the city
corporation area.
A total of 29 platoons of BGB, 58 teams of RAB, 57 mobile forces and 20
striking forces of police will perform their duties during the elections, he
said.
Gazipur district Deputy Commissioner Dr Dewan mohammad Humayun Kabir said
a total of 67 executive magistrates and 19 judicial magistrates will perform
duties across the city corporation area from June 24 to 27.
Besides, all types of electoral campaign ended from Sunday midnight.