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6 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 DT News EC seeks positive response from voters • Tribune Desk The Election Commission is expecting that voters across Bangladesh will be positive in exercising their voting power in the Zila Parishad Polls. “Voters and candidates are aware of their rights. We are hoping that the election will be held in a credible manner. We expect positive response and responsibilities from both parties during the polls,” said Secretary of Election Commission Muhammad Abdullah while talking to journalists at the Election Commission Office, Dhaka, yesterday. The EC secretary also said the commission was firm to hold the first Zila Parishad election in free and peaceful way. Replying to a question, he said the Election Commission had imposed ban on the use mobile phones at polling centres considering all aspects. The Election Commission had already asked all field level election officials to maintain secrecy and credibility of the election, he added. “We have already taken actions against the people who violated electoral code of conduct,” he said. About the stay of presiding officer at centres during night, he said: “It is not mandatory for presiding officers to stay in the election centres during night like other national and local elections because the number of voters are less”. • Hundreds of polling centres identified risky • Tribune Desk People of Bangladesh are going to cast votes in Zila Parishad elections today, hundreds of polling centres remain in vulnerable state. Though Election Commission does not know the actual number of risky polling centres, sources at the commission said respective district election offices had been asked to take measures regarding risky polling centres. In Magura, all the polling centres have been identified as risky. Voters of the districts will cast their votes at 15 polling centres. Magura district administration said they had taken all preparations to avoid any kind of untoward incident during poll time. A total of 274 police personnel, 225 Ansars, BGB and RAB personnel will work to make the election free and fair. Our Cox’s Bazar correspondent reports: All of the polling centres of the district remain in vulnerable state. Voters of the district will cast their votes at 15 polling centres. District election officer Md Mozammel Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that they had identified all the voting centres risky and taken all possible measures to make voting peaceful. A total of 1,003 voters of the district will exercise their franchise in the election. • Tight security at all polling centres • Motiur Rahman, Manikganj Eight hundred members of different law enforcing agencies have been deployed in Manikganj polling centres for ensuring peaceful zila parishad elections today. “Around 550 police, three platoon Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) men and Ansar members will be deployed at 15 centres in seven upazilas of the district. The members of law enforcing agencies led by an officer-in-charge will be deployed at each polling centre,” said Mafujur Rahman, superintendent of Manikganj police, yesterday. Munir Hossain, the district election officer, said five candidates were contesting for the chairman post, 54 candidates for general membership in 15 wards and 17 women candidates were vying for five reserved seats. There are a total of 888 voters of Manikganj zila parishad elections. Among them, 680 are male voters and 208 are female voters. For the chairman post, ruling party-backed candidate Golam Mohiuddin, president of the district Awami League, is contesting with the symbol ‘pineapple,’ while rebel candidate Ramjan Ali, vice president of the district Awami League and former mayor of Manikganj municipality, is vying with ‘mobile phone’ symbol. Individual candidates Mofijul Islam Khan, former lawmaker and presidium member of Gono Forum, Bajlul Haque Khan and Kazi Rafiqul Islam are taking part in the elections with butterfly, cupplate and palm tree symbols respectively. • BAF Contingent members are crossing immigration Lounge of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in order to depart Dhaka for Mali to join UN Peacekeeping Mission yesterday ISPR
News 7 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 All set for first ever Zila Parisad polls today DT • Syed Samiul Basher Anik The first ever Zila Parsiad elections will be held today in 61 districts which are being boycotted by both BNP and Jatiya Party. Only elected representatives will be allowed to vote in the election this year. Incidents of violation of electoral code of conduct including influence by several lawmakers, coercion of voters, monetary transactions for votes were reported from many districts creating a tense situation in many districts. The Election Commission however, said that the election would be free and fair and various measures were taken to ensure peaceful atmosphere in the electoral areas. Police, RAB and BGB will be deployed, near the polling centres, so that voters can cast their votes peacefully, according to EC. Allegations of different kinds of voter coercion has been reported such as secret agreements like offering motorcycles for votes and Tk1lakh for a single vote was made in Meherpur, our correspondent reported yesterday. Although allegations have surfaced against both chairman and member candidates they have denied any wrongdoings. There are also allegations that One vote costs Tk100,000 • Ashraful Islam, Meherpur Chairman candidates in Meherpur Zila Parishad elections were busy to lure the voters with money to win today's polls. A total of Tk100,000 including valuables were reportedly being offered for a vote. According to local sources, district unit Awami League became divided in four factions centering the polls. Advocate Mizan Ali achieved the Awami League nomination for the election. His symbol is tea-set. Golam Rasul, president of the district unit Awami League, is vying with the symbol of pineapple as rival candidate. On the other hand, Gangni upazila unit Awami League president Syduzzaman Khokan is vying in the polls and his symbol is palm tree. Mujib Nagar upazila unit Awami League president got optical symbol to compete the polls. A total of 269 voters will cast their votes to elect a chairman from the four AL candidates. Sources said there was hard competition among the candidates and they became busy to buy votes by offering cash and valuables to win the polls. VOTING TIME 9:00AM TO 2:00PM Number of districts to have polls 61 some candidates are asking the voters to take pictures of their votes while many are asking to put “special signs” on the back of the ballot papers. Following the allegation, the EC have put a bar on voters to carry mobile phones inside the polling centres. Seeking anonymity, a voter said he had been offered a motorcycle. Another voter said he had been offered Tk100,000. A voter had denied the proposal as he was offered only Tk50,000. When contacted, the candidates denied the allegations of offering money or other things to the voters. Golam Rasul told the reporters in a press briefing yesterday that a voter demanded a motorcycle to him. “I alerted him and said the demand violated electoral code and conducts” he said. On the other hand, Mizan Ali said: “Buying and selling votes are one kind of crime and breaking the rules of electoral code and conducts.” He said during in his five-year tenure, there was no allegation against him. He is hopeful to win the race. Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Parimal Singh said the administration was trying to stop selling and buying votes in the polls. “If we get allegation, we will take immediate steps,” he said. It should be mentioned, four chairman candidates, 48 member candidates and 13 in woman reserve seats are vying in the district to win the race. • TOTAL POSTS 1,281 TOTAL VOTERS 63,143 Male: 48,343, Female: 14,800 POSTS IN EACH DISTRICT 1 Chairman General members 15 and 5 Members in reserved seats for women VOTING BOOTHS AND CENTRES 1,830 Booths of 915 Polling centres UNCONTESTED VICTORY Chairmen elected 22 unopposed WHO ARE THE VOTERS Elected representatives of city corporations, municipalities, upazila and union parishads of the respective districts ASMAUL HOQUE MAMUN/DT INFOGRAPHIC Voting in 3 N’ganj wards suspended • Tanveer Hossain, Narayanganj Voting of the Zila Parishad polls in one to three No wards of the council, which is under Narayanganj city corporation, has been suspended over voter related complication. As the voters of the first ever such elections in Bangladesh consist of only elected representatives of union parishad, upzila parishad, municipality and city corporation, the previous councillors of the three wards remained the voters instead of the councillors, who was elected on December 22 city corporation polls. The returning officer of Narayanganj district council elections gave the suspension order after the Election Commission sent him a letter in this regard, said Jasim Uddin, assistant returning officer. However, the election is being held today in remaining seven wards of the district council. Mojibur Rahman, president of Shiddhirganj upazila Awami League, is the lone candidate for general member post in ward No one (one to nine No wards of the city corporation) of the council. • Even, the ruling Awami League secretary general Obaidul Quader could not deny allegations of monetary incentives being provided by some lawmakers to elect their preferred candidates. “While the Election Commission has fixed a strict amount each candidate can spend some people are not following that rule, we should have overcome such bad practices by now,” the minister told reporters at the secretariat. He, however, said necessary actions would be taken against those in violation of electoral code of conduct. Election Commission on Monday requested the Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury to take necessary steps to keep the lawmakers away from their areas and to make sure they do not violating electoral code. The Election Commission on Monday also requested the lawmakers to leave the constituencies and warned that actions would be taken against if they did not comply. On the other hand, major political party BNP has boycotted the election saying that the election process of the Zila Parishad goes against the constitution because of lack of direct participation of voters. However, party insiders says BNP is not participating in the polls as most of its local government representatives are either behind bars or on the run. BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan yesterday termed the zila parishad election as a joke: “The Zila Parishad elections is a joke just like the January 5 elections.” Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman said people have no interest in the poll as the right to vote has been taken away from people. This election cannot bring anything except looting, according to the BNP standing committee member. The voting will start at 9:00am and will continue uninterrupted at 2:00pm while over 63,000 voters are expected to cast their votes in the elections of 61 districts for 1,281 posts. Only the elected representatives of different tier of local government- city corporations, municipalities, upazila and union parishads of the respective districts - will be able to vote in a chairman, 15 general members and five members in reserved seats for women in each district. 22 candidates- all from ruling Awami League- has already elected uncontested. The districts are - Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Jaipurhat, Naogaon, Natore, Sirajganj, Kushtia, Jessore, Bagerhat, Jhalakati, Bhola, Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Gazipur, Tangail, Munshiganj, Dhaka, Narayanganj, Faridpur, Habiganj, Feni and Chittagong. • Obaidul acknowledges allegations of corruption in polls • Shohel Mamun Roads Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said the allegations of rampant corruption of some lawmakers in their districts before the Zila Parisad elections could not be denied at his secretariat office. Except the ruling party Awami League no others big parties are participating including the BNP's in the election The Awami League general secretary said: “The Election Commission has fixed a strict amount each candidate can spend some people are not following that rule, we should have overcome such bad practices by now.” Election Commission on Monday requested the Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury to take necessary steps to keep the lawmakers away from their areas and to make sure they do not violating electoral code and also requested the lawmakers to leave the constituencies and warned that actions would be taken against if they did not comply. Quader said “Those found in violation of the electoral code will be punished. I requested the lawmakers to leave their constituency and honour the electoral code of conduct.” Zila Parishad election will be held today in 61 districts, except three hill track districts. The voting will start from the 9am to 2 Pm for the post of chairman, member and member (reserved) while only elected representatives of local government bodies like city corporation, Union Parishad are allow to vote in this election, as per the Zila Parishad Act. Except the ruling party Awami League no others big parties are participating including the BNP's in the election. Already 22 Awami League chairman candidates has already been elected unopposed and 124 candidates are vying for seats in the rest of the districts. •
Page 1 and 2: SECOND EDITION WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER
Page 3 and 4: News 3 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016
Page 5: News 5 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016
Page 9 and 10: World Trump: UN just a club for peo
Page 11: World Turkey opens first trial of J
Page 15 and 16: Business 15 DT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER
Page 17 and 18: Project 17 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 19 and 20: Biz Info 19 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 21 and 22: A radical change Opinion 21 Radical
Page 23 and 24: Opinion 23 We need to do something
Page 25 and 26: Feni Soccer staring at relegation
Page 27 and 28: Sport 27 DT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 29 and 30: Downtime 29 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 31 and 32: Showtime Dhaka International Film F

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