City dwellers are doubtful about a free and fair election as the Election Commission gets ready to hold Narayanganj City Corporation polls on Sunday without army in the field.
Biswas Lutfur Rahman, the returning officer, started distributing ballot boxes and other materials Saturday morning.
Presiding officers took the ballot boxes at the Zia Hall Auditorium in the city at about 11:00am.
Police are helping them transfer the ballot boxes and other items to the poll centres.
PEOPLE PANICKY
Talking to The Daily Star a day after the government refused to deploy army as requested by the Election Commission, locals said they would go to cast their votes even despite having the doubt.
Now-a-days, people are quite conscious about their rights. They would definitely go to the booths, no matter whether army is deployed or not, an elderly man said.
Another man commented that the failure to deploy army proves that the Election Commission does not have any power.
Some locals of Dewbhog area in Narayanganj commented that the government had played a trick with the people of Narayanganj.
Jahed Ali, who works for private firm, expressed concern whether the election will be held neutrally and said: It would bring a good result if the voting is held peacefully.
1,400 PLUS RAB MEN TO SECURE CITY
Commanding officer of Rab-11 Mostafa (full name not available immediately) asked locals not to panic, saying there will be enough law enforcers to fend off any kind of law and order disorder.
There are already 1,000 Rab members here and another 400 will join tomorrow, Mostafa said this at a press briefing at Narayanganj Central Shaheed Minar, adding that plainclothes Rab men will also be on duty.
There will be one executive magistrate and three judicial magistrates in every ward during the polls, the Rab officer added.
Source: Voters panicky, EC prepares for polls
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