Campaign ends tonight in Barishal, Khulna

As candidates of the ruling Awami League and other parties are making their final appeals to the voters, local leaders and activists of the BNP are allegedly making their efforts to dissuade voters from casting their votes in the Barishal and Khulna city polls scheduled for Monday.

The campaign for the polls in the two cities will come to an end tonight.

In Barishal, activists of the BNP and BaSoD have been going door to door, urging citizens not to cast their votes in the polls.

Moniruzzaman Khan Faruk, convener of the Barishal city unit BNP, said, "It is our party's central decision that none of our leaders, activists, and supporters will participate in any kind of election under the current government. If anyone supports the BNP, they should not go to the voting centre."

Tarikul Islam, vice president of Barishal city unit Chhatra Dal, shared that both voters and party members are showing favorable responses to their efforts in uniting Chhatra Dal activists and city voters against the election.

Similarly, the Barishal city unit of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BaSoD) is also discouraging voters from participating in the city election as part of their movement for a free and fair election under a neutral government.

"We are not only boycotting the election but also discouraging city residents from voting," explained Dr Manisha Chakraborty, convener of BaSoD's city unit.

However, candidates from the Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Awami League, along with all councillor and women councillor candidates, are actively working to ensure the presence of their expected voters at the voting booths.

As the BNP remains absent from participating in city elections, activists of the party are allegedly convincing voters not to cast their votes in the Khulna city election as well.

Mizanur Rahman Milton, convening committee member of Khulna city unit BNP, said, "The BNP has decided not to participate in any election under the current government. Therefore, if anyone from the BNP and its associate wings work for any candidate, or goes to polling centres to cast their votes, they will be expelled for life from the party," he said.

However, candidates of the ruling Awami League and other participating parties are making their last-minute pledges to voters as the polls campaign will come to an end tonight.

Awami League-nominated mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque said, "We want to reach directly or indirectly to 5,35,000 voters within the city. Because taking voters to the centre seems to be a big challenge".

"We urge voters, whoever they vote for, to come to the centre on the election day," he added.