Police action, just two days before Khulna city polls, has taken centre stage, surpassing candidates' election campaign and contest.
According to opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khulna Metropolitan Police and district police arrested at least 108 BNP leaders and activists in the past two weeks.
BNP leaders alleged that the police would raid the homes of its activists in the night, but now they conduct the raids even in broad daylight.
The policemen, BNP said, detained party activists even from the election campaign programmes of the BNP's mayoral candidate Nazrul Islam Manju.
Law enforcers have also started interrogating presiding officers over phone. They have been asked questions on several issues.
Several presiding officers, seeking anonymity, told Prothom Alo that law enforcers wanted to know whether they or their family have any past or present involvement with politics.
Some of the presiding officers also alleged that policemen in plainclothes visited their homes to inquire about them, making them and their families scared.
KMP commissioner Md Humayun Kabir did not want to comment on this and referred to the police spokesperson.
KMP additional deputy commissioner (media) Sonali Sen told Prothom Alo that the police do not have any list of presiding officers and interrogating them is not task of the police.
Officers at the election commission, however, said that a list of 289 presiding officers (names and phone numbers) has been finalised and it has been handed over to the police for scrutiny.
A few of the presiding officers have even been changed, they added.
The BNP's mayoral candidate Nazrul Islam Manju also complained to the returning officer that presiding officers were being pressurised and requested them not to deploy politically biased officials as presiding officers.
Returning officer of Khulna City Corporation election Md Younus Ali told Prothom Alo that the BNP's Nazrul Islam Manju alleged that ruling Awami League's mayoral candidate met a number of teachers who may be recruited as presiding officers. The EC has taken this allegation into cognizance, he added.
The police on Friday afternoon detained a BNP activist, Monowar Hossain, from BNP candidate Nazrul Islam Manju's electioneering programme in the city's ward 9 Bastuhara Colony.
Three BNP leaders, Maniruzzaman, Mehedi, and Hassan who came to Khulna city from Satkhira, were also held by tbe police in the afternoon.
About the police action, BNP candidate Nazrul Islam Manju said, ''The police show up wherever I conduct electioneering. They note down names of my leaders and activists and take photos.”
He also said that he had to spend a sleepless night on Thursday visiting different police stations to meet the arrested party men. He said the police arrested at least 17 BNP leaders and activists from Thursday noon to midnight and conducted raids in more than 500 residences.
According to the BNP, leaders and activists coming to Khulna city from outside also fall victim to police arrest. A total of 55 such leaders and activists have so far been arrested.
The election commission has sought an explanation from police on arrest of leaders and activists. Election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar sought the explanation at a meeting of divisional coordination committee on Thursday evening. Police claimed the accused are arrested on specific charges.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mahbub Talukdar said, after the announcement of the election schedule, the commission gave a clear message that none will be arrested on new cases. And the commission will discharge duties as per the constitution. A fair election will be held. The commission will not let the election to be controversial.
But there are instances that arrests were made on fresh cases after the announcement of the election schedule.
Police have filed two cases with Khalispur police station last week. A case has been filed on charges of conspiracy to thwart the election. Eight BNP men have been arrested in this case. Arrests are also made in a case filed for a reported attack on the officer-in-charge of Khalishpur police station.
Except the Awami League mayoral candidate, three other mayoral candidates are not taking the arrests of BNP leaders and activists easily. They feel this is creating doubts over a fair and neutral election. A sense of fear is prevailing among the voters, they said.