Narayanganj: Electioneering gathered pace in the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) on Monday, nine days ahead of the election, with Awami League contestant Dr Salina Hayat Ivy and BNP contender Advocate Shakhawat Hossain Khan making big promises to reshape the vital inland port city.

Ivy said it is essential to reelect her to let her finish her unfinished development works, while Shakhawat promised that if he is elected, he will change the look of the city with development works in the next five years.

"If I'm elected, I'll complete my unfinished works on priority basis," Ivy said during her campaign at Isdair Uttar Chashara in the Ward No 12 of the city corporation.

She said herself and the present government are essential to continue the development of Narayanganj.

Ivy, the NCC's first mayor said she never made any promises to construct a bridge over Shitalakhya River to connect Sadar and Bandar thanas (as Sakhawat did), but tried her best to build the bridge in the last five years while she was in office.

"I will try as well to set up the bridge in the future," she said adding that she completed all initial processes for establishing the bridge.

During her campaign at Gym Khana, Tanbazar and Rallybagan areas in the afternoon, the country's first female mayor of a city corporation said water and gas crises of the city will be solved and she has already asked the state minister concerned to address the problems as the water and gas supply is not under the jurisdiction of the city corporation.

Dr Ivy said the work is on to solve the crisis of low gas pressure. "So, don't be misguided (over the existing problems)," she added.

About the allegation raised by her rival Shakhawat Hossain that she failed to do the desired development of the city, Ivy said the people know well what she did.

On Monday, Ivy also sought votes in favour of her 'boat' symbol in other places including Jamtola and Masdair ahead of NCC election slated for December 22.

Meanwhile, BNP mayoral candidate Shakhawat Hossain Khan on Monday alleged that Ivy did not raise voice against terrorism, but rather against jut one family in the past.

He said he was vocal against all sorts of terrorism as well as repressive activities carried out by the family, presumably the Osmans. "I'll eradicate terrorism if elected," he added.

About development of the city, the BNP candidate said, "In the next five years, I will do whatever Ivy (who was in the helm of Narayanganj municipality and subsequently City Corporation since 2003) could not in the last 13 years. I will change the look of Narayanganj." 

Over allegation that he was an outsider, Shakhawat said his family has been doing business in Narayanganj for the last 150 years and he grew up there.

"Ivy and her husband were citizens of New Zealand. Though Ivy left the foreign citizenship in 2003, her husband is still citizen of New Zealand," he alleged during his campaign in the city.

BNP leader MK Anwar and defeated Dhaka North mayoral candidate Tabith Awal sought votes for their candidate in separate places in the city on Monday.

Also on Monday, the election took a nasty turn as an AL-minded councillor candidate was beaten up, while local AL office was vandalized at the Ward No 11 of the city.

Sources said the councillor candidate Chanchal Mahmud came under attack at the AL office of Ward No 11 at Barafkal after he protested an alleged campaign by the local AL leaders in favour of his rival BNP-minded councillor contender Jamshed Ali Jhantu.

Allegations flew that a secret compact was made between the local AL leaders and BNP ward unit president and councillor candidate Jamshed.

When AL city unit leader Bhashani, AL ward unit leaders Malauddin Malu, Jamal Hossain and Jasim Uddin sought votes in favour of Jamshed, Chanchal asked them why they engaged in campaigning for Jamshed. But AL leaders did not respond to his question.

Following the incident, a group of miscreants swooped on Chanchal Mahmud at the said AL office and allegedly vandalised portraits of Bangabandhu, the Prime Minister and late MP Nasim Osman.

The miscreants also attacked Chanchal when he went to Khanpur Hospital for treatment.

Officer In-Charge (OC) of Narayanganj Sadar Police Station Asaduzzaman said the police visited the spot and found portraits of Bangabandhu and the Prime Minister damaged.

The OC said a case will be filed in connection with damaging the portraits after investigation.