The formal electioneering started in Khulna city on Friday morning after symbols were allocated among 179 candidates including four for the mayoral post in the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) elections slated for June 12.
Md Alauddin, returning officer of the KCC elections, said the formal campaigning started through allocating the symbols among the candidates in the morning.
“We want to hold the elections in a festive manner, the foremost condition to create a fair and congenial environment is to comply with the electoral code of conduct by all,” he said.
As there was no independent candidate for the mayoral post, the four candidates got their parties’ symbols to race in polls are--Awami League-backed Talukder Abdul Khaleque (boat) Jatiya Party’s SM Shafiqul Islam Madhu (plough), Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Md Abdul Awal (hand fan) and Jaker Party’s SM Sabbir Hossain (rose), he said.
The candidates vying for the posts of general and reserved ward councillors were given symbols through lottery, said the returning officer.
According to the election office, 136 candidates will compete against 31 general councillor wards and 39 for 10 reserved wards.
The voting in the KCC elections will be held at 289 centres and of them 161 are considered as risky.
Some 8,500 members of police and Ansar will be assigned for the security of the polling centres and 3,567 police personnel, 300 Armed Police Battalion cops and 657 Ansar members will be on the electoral field.
Moreover, members of Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh will be deployed on the voting day along with the police and others. 10 judicial magistrates were assigned to conduct mobile court from June 10 to 14.
To ensure a congenial atmosphere, CCTV cameras will be set up at 289 centres and before 1,732 booths. The Election Commission from its headquarters in Dhaka will monitor the elections.
Sixteen checkposts have already been set up in the city to maintain law and order while a control room was opened by Khulna Metropolitan Police.
5, 35,529 voters and of them 2, 66,696 are females and the rest are males are expected to exercise their franchises using the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).