Arrest scare haunts BNP candidates:Daily Sun

With only six days left for the campaign, most of the BNP-supported councillor candidates in the elections to Dhaka North and South City Corporations are passing days in hiding as the arrest scare continues to haunt them as they face cases on the charges of violence arson, torching vehicles and killing. According to sources, the relatives of the absconding BNP-backed candidates are conducting the

election campaign in favour of them. It has been revealed in investigation that in the 57 wards of Dhaka South City Corporations, each of the candidates faces more than one case for violence. Of them, only four or five candidates conducted open campaign and two of them were arrested. According to Election Commission sources, more than 54 of the opposition alliance backed candidates mentioned in the affidavit that there are more than one criminal case against each of them. In reply to a question about his absence in the election campaign, BNP-backed councillor candidate Golam Hossain said, “I am facing 12 cases all of which are political. I have been granted bail in 11 cases but not in the remaining one. In the evening of the first day of campaign police came to my house in search of me. Out of arrest scare I did not come out in the street, not to speak of staying at home.” Similar reply was received from every other BNP-backed candidates. In the two two city corporations, almost all the candidates supported by ‘Ideal Dhaka Movement’ and backed by BNP are absconding now. Out of fear for arrest by police, they could not conduct the election campaign. ALM Kauser Ahmed, a BNP-backed candidate from ward-11 of Dhaka North was arrested on Thursday in five cases for violence. In the Dhaka South, Shamsul Huda is a BNP-supported candidate from ward-6. He was elected councillor from Mugda-Maniknagar area twice. He alleges that he could not run poll campaign as police are in search of him. Those who are working for him are being arrested by police, he added. Shahidul Haque a councillor candidate from ward-55 of Dhaka South said he embarked on election campaign in Jhauchar area of Kamrangirchar when police chased me for arresting. “As a result, I am absconding and my workers are doing the campaign.” Till Monday, Habiba Chowdhury Bithi a councillor candidate in ward-2 of Dhaka South, Shirin Jahan in ward-6, Mostofa Badsha in ward-7 and AGM Shamsul Haque in ward-21 of Dhaka North had started the campaign, but ultimately have withdrawn from the field due to threat from police. Meanwhile, in some wards BNP supporters have become rebel councillor candidates. In DNCC and DSCC, there are rebel candidates in 25 wards.          The party first tried in vain to persuade them to withdraw. Now the possibility of expulsion is being discussed as the last resort. BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said, “We are trying to put a single candidate in each ward. Local leaders are also trying to attain the same goal.” Another standing committee member Hanan Shah said, “Police are not allowing our candidates to come to streets, while AL candidates are moving freely. The Election Commission could not create a level playing field for all.”