Gazipur polls: Jahangir’s mother seeks army deployment in letter to foreign diplomats

Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) election's independent mayor candidate Zayeda Khatun sent letter to several foreign embassies demanding 7-point including deployment of army during the polls and engaging diplomatic observers in the election.

Zayeda made this request in a letter written to ambassadors and high commissioners of different countries including the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, China, and India on Sunday.

Zayeda is the mother of suspended mayor of Gazipur city corporation Jahangir Alam. The former mayor, also a suspended Awami League leader, wanted to contest the polls this time too, but his nomination was cancelled. Jahangir is now the chief coordinator of the election conducting committee of his mother.

Zayeda Khatun, who is contesting the polls as an independent candidate under the symbol of ‘table clock’, claimed in the letter that her son was the most popular mayor of Gazipur city corporation and his nomination had been cancelled unjustly.  

“I’ve been running my campaigns since being allotted the electoral symbol on 9 May. However, Awami League candidate Azmat Ullah is obstructing and even attacking my campaign. He has been intimidating and threatening my polling agents in various ways. His personal cadres are threatening us.”

She also accused the police administration of obstructing her electoral campaign in different places.

“Police administration is unnecessarily harassing us during the election campaign. I’ve filed written complaints with the returning officer several times and complained to the chief election commission (CEC) in writing on 18 May,” Zayeda Khatun’s letter reads. 

The seven-point demand includes army has to be deployed four days before the polls to ensure the safety of voters, Azmat Ullah’s supporters who carried out attacks in the campaigns have to be arrested, one executive magistrate would have to be deployed for every polling center, arrangements have to be made so that journalists and representatives designated by the candidates can watch live the CCTV footages set at the polling centers, controversial police officials who are working for Azmat Ullah have to be withdrawn from Gazipur, EC has to ensure her supporters or polling agents would not be arrested without warrant.

Asked about the letter, Jahangir Alam told Prothom Alo that they made the demand for army deployment for the sake of a free and fair election.

Asked about Zayeda Khatun’s allegations, Gazipur’s returning officer Md Faridul Islam told Prothom Alo, “It’s is not true that she (Zayeda) made any complaint and we did not take action. She filed only one complaint. Even a case was filed over that incident. I don’t know about her letter to foreign diplomats.”