City Polls
Voting begins in 3 cities
Dhaka: Voting in the elections to Dhaka south, Dhaka north, and Chittagong city corporations began on Tuesday morning with the spontaneous participations of voters amid festive mood and tight security.
The voting that started at 8:00am will continue till 4:00 pm without any break.
It is public holiday in the three cities—Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).
A total of 1188 mayoral and councillor candidates are running for 182 posts in the three city corporations’ polls, where some 60 lakh people are expected to exercise their franchise in 2,701 polling stations.
Of them, 48 candidates are running for three mayoral posts, while 249 for 45 reserved seats and 891 for 134 general councillor posts in the cities.
The ruling Awami League picked Annisul Huq as mayoral contender for DNCC, Sayeed Khokon for DSCC and AJM Nasiruddin for CCC, while BNP gave support to Tabith Awal for DNCC, Mirza Abbas for DSCC and Manjur Alam for CCC.
More than 100 observers from diplomatic missions stationed in Dhaka are observing the crucial elections alongside adequate number of local observers.
Some 80,000 law enforcers from police, Rab, BGB, Ansar-VDP, Coast Guard are on the election duty in the three city corporations, while a total of 49,333 polling persons are conducting the voting.
Besides, army has been kept ready and now stay inside the cantonment as reserve force. They will face any situation as striking force in aid of the civil administration, if necessary.
In addition, a total of 492 magistrates, including 33 judicial magistrates, have also been engaged on election duty to punish incidents of election violence and breaching the polls code of conduct in 134 wards of the three cities —57 in DSCC, 36 in DNCC and 41 in CCC.
Of them, 16 executive magistrates have been deployed with three battalions of army in three cities.
A total of 536 mobile teams of police and Rab have been kept on patrol, while 66 other teams of police are working as striking force taking positions along different strategic points in the cities.
Besides, 100 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 7 platoons of Coast Guard have been deployed on the election duty. A platoon usually is comprised of 30-35 members.
Teams comprising 22 law enforcers are guarding each polling station, with teams of 24 ensuring security to polling stations considered vulnerable in Dhaka and Chittagong.
The 22-member team of law enforcers is comprised of seven police men with firearms, including SI, ASI and five constables, three Ansar members with firearms, and 12 Ansar-VDP members carrying sticks.
The 24-member team comprises seven policemen with firearms, including SI, ASI and five constables, five Ansar members with firearms and 12 Ansar-VDP members with sticks.
Earlier on Sunday midnight, the curtain fell on the 20-day high-octane election campaign in three city corporations.
During the last three weeks, the candidates have gone all out with the messages of their development agenda to the voters how they will reshape the densely populated three cities. The electioneering in the three city corporations started on April 7.
The movement of some transport vehicles and river vessels are restricted in the election areas for only the polling day from Monday midnight to Tuesday midnight. The vehicles include taxicab, easy bike, auto-rickshaw, microbus, jeep, pickup van, car, bus, truck, tempo, launch and speedboat.
But the restriction can be relaxed for the vehicles of candidates, their agents, and local and foreign election observers subject to permission of the returning officers. However, observers and polling agents must use the stickers issued by the Election Commission in that case.
Besides, the restriction is not applicable for the vehicles of law-enforcement agencies, administration, approved election observers, and the vehicles engaged on emergency services or works like ambulance and that of fire service, electricity, gas, postal and telecommunication services.
The restriction has been imposed motorcycle movement in the election areas for four days from Saturday midnight to Wednesday midnight.
In DSCC, 20 contenders are contesting the election for the mayoral post, while 97 females for 19 reserved seats and 390 contestants for 57 general councillor posts. There are 18,70,753 voters –10,09,286 males and 8,61,467 females – under 4,746 booths of 889 polling stations.
In DNCC, 16 candidates are running for the mayoral post, while 89 females for 12 reserved seats and 281 contenders for 36 general councillor posts.
There are 23,45,374 voters—12,24701 males and 11,20,673 females— under 5,892 booths of 1093 polling stations.
In CCC, 12 contestants are vying for the mayoral post, while 62 females for 14 reserved seats and 213 contenders for 41 general councillor posts.
There are 18,13,449 voters—9,37,053 males and 8,76,396 females— under 4,906 booths of 719 polling stations.
On March 18, the EC announced election schedules for the three city corporations.