Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Thursday apprehended that acts of violence might be staged in the Upazila Parishad polls beginning on May 8.
“But the polls should be held in a free, fair and credible manner at any cost. If we fail to hold the polls in a fair manner, the continuation of democracy would be tarnished,” he said while exchanging views on law and order with field administrations ahead of the upazila polls at Election Secretariat in the city.
Election Commissioners, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and senior police officers, among others, were present at the meeting that lasted for about three hours.
Sources at the EC said that several units of intelligence agencies also feared violent activities in every phase of the four-phase polls.
Placing their findings, the intelligence agencies said that they fear violent activities in 78 places in the first phase, 70 in the second phase and 40 in the third phase. But they also mention in their reports that the BNP-Jamaat alliance does not have its major programmes to thwart the UZ polls.
They urged the EC to take appropriate measures to maintain law and order on the election days.
Such a situation is being prevailing across the country as the Awami League leaders, mostly loyal to the ministers and lawmakers, are contesting the UZ polls, boycotted by the BNP and its like-minded allies.
The ruling Awami League has already directed the offspring and kin of the ministers and party lawmakers to stay off the Upazila Parishad polls.
It has also issued a note of warning for taking organisational actions if any of them participates in the polls or any minister or lawmaker extends support to them defying the directives of the top brass of the party.
Ignoring the directives of the party high-command, many of the kin of the MPs and ministers are in the race.
Under the circumstances, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader and AL presidium member Shajahan Khan on Tuesday exchanged heated
words over the candidacy of the kin of some MPs and ministers in the UZ polls.
The incident took place at the party president Sheikh Hasina’s political office at Dhanmondi.
Shajahan Khan fielded his son Asibur Rahman Khan in Madaripur Sadar Upazila to contest the polls for the post of chairman. AL organising secretary Mirza Azam, in charge of Dhaka Division, on April 18 phoned him requesting him to withdraw his son from the UZ poll race.
But, Shajahan Khan stuck to his guns.
When Shajahan Khan met Quader at Dhanmondi, Quader expressed his resentment and said, “You have not gone by the directives of the party president.”
Pointing finger at Quader, Shajahan Khan said many kin of the MPs and ministers are in the race and my son Asibur stepped into the field of politics in continuity. That is why he is in the race.
AL general secretary on Wednesday reiterated that necessary actions would be taken if the relatives of ruling party lawmakers and ministers participate in the upazila polls, ignoring the party decision.
"Ministers and MPs will face the music if their relatives participate in the upcoming upazila election ignoring the party decision," he told a press briefing.
He also said there are scopes for the candidates to withdraw their candidacy till the last day before the election and that is why it is possible for them to withdraw their candidacy even after the Election Commission's official date of withdrawing candidature.
"So, the party will wait till the last date. If anyone violates the party decision, organisational action will be taken against him or her in time," he said.