GCC polls: CEC meets Gazipur SP, Dhaka DIG

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda held a meeting with the Superintend of Police in Gazipur Harun-ur-Rashid and Dhaka range Deputy Inspector General Abdullah Al Mamun at Nirbachan Bhaban on Tuesday.

Four other election commissioners were unaware of the meeting.

Huda told The Daily Star that they discussed about the overall law and order situation in Gazipur and voting atmosphere.

“I called them and discussed about the law and order situation of Gazipur. We have discussed about the law and order strategy in Gazipur polls,” Huda said.

The Daily Star talked with the election commissioners about the meeting but the commissioners said they were not aware of the meeting.

Md Rafiqul Islam, election commissioner, said, “I do not know about the meeting. CEC can hold any meeting with anyone. But I am not aware of it.”

Kabita Khanam, another election commissioner, also expressed the same view saying she was also unaware of the meeting.

Election Commission secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed was in the meeting. The Daily Star tried to reach him but could not even after several attempts.

Contacted, DIG Abdullah Al Mamun said, “We held a discussion.” He, however, denied to say anything further rather advised to talk to the commission.

SP of Gazipur, however, said that the meeting was informal and unofficial and there was no official talk.

“We talked with election commission secretary and we did not hold any official meeting with CEC,” Harun told The Daily Star.

Gazipur City Corporation polls will be held on June 26. Election campaign will start from June 18.

Earlier, the EC set June 15 for the city election. But on May 6, the High Court stayed the polls for three months following a writ petition challenging the inclusion of six mouzas of a union in the city and the polls schedule.

On May 10, a four-member bench of Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain scrapped the bar on the city election following separate petitions filed by the EC and mayoral candidates of Awami League and BNP.

On May 3, a BNP delegation met CEC and urged the Election Commission to immediately withdraw superintendent of police in Gazipur for creating level-playing field ahead of the upcoming elections.

The party demanded immediate withdrawal of Gazipur SP for ensuring a proper election atmosphere in the city calming that the police officer was working in favour of the ruling Awami League candidate.