RCC election to be held tomorrow for seventh time

Election to the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is going to be held tomorrow (Wednesday) for the seventh time since its establishment in 1987.

For the first time in RCC’s history, elections will be held in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in all the 155 centres. There will also be Close Circuit Cameras in each of the centres.

The Regional Election Office has adopted all sorts of necessary preparations in coordination with all the authorities concerned, including law enforcing agencies, to make the election successful.

It has imparted training to 155 presiding officers, 1,153 assistance presiding officers and 3,459 polling officers.

There are 3,51,982 voters to exercise their right of franchise in EVM in 1,153 rooms of 155 polling centres in 30 wards from 8am to 4pm without any break.

Returning Officer Delwar Hossain said a total of 161 candidates remained in the election race. Of them, three for mayor, 112 for general councilors in 30 wards and 46 for 10 reserved seats for women councilors.

The mayoral candidates are: Bangladesh Awami League nominated and former mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton (Boat), Jatiya Party candidate Saiful Islam Swapan (Plough) and Jaker Party Latif Anwar (Rose).

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) held a briefing parade at its police line ground largely attended by police, Ansar-VDP and others concerned this morning.

The participants were given directions to perform their respective duties with utmost sincerity and honesty for a perfect election.

RMP Commissioner Anisur Rahman, Additional Commissioners Bijoy Basak and Shamsun Nahar, Deputy Commissioner Saif Uddin Shaheen, Deputy Director General of Ansar-VDP Kamrun Nahar and Returning Officer to the RCC election Delwar Hossain addressed the briefing.

In his remarks, Commissioner Anisur Rahman said 148 of the total 155 polling centres are risky adding the additional security measures were taken to hold the election successfully and all centres face the risks strictly.

He said five-tier security measures have been taken for making the tomorrow’s polls free, fair, participatory, peaceful and acceptable to all as around 4,500 law enforcers will work to maintain law and order.

Around 3,500 members of police, 400 personnel of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), 200 of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 1,860 of Ansar will discharge election duties.

“We are adamant to take drastic action against any sorts of wrong-doers in polling centres,” said Commissioner Rahman.

Returning Officer Delwar Hossain told the parade briefing that they conducted motivational campaigns at the community level about polling in EVM correctly.

RAB-5 Commanding Officer Lt Col Riaz Shahrier also briefed the journalists about their security measures at his office to make tomorrow’s election a total success.

Meanwhile, Mayor Candidate AHM Khairuzzaman addressed a pre-election meet the press here Tuesday expecting that around 65 percent voters will cast their votes in Wednesday’s RCC election.

He said there are optimum numbers of candidates for the posts of general councilors and reserved seats for women in all 30 wards in addition to the mayoral candidates. So, there will be no problems for voters. (BSS)