Hotels packed with influx of campaigners

Hotel rooms in Barisal are filling up fast, with a large number of people coming in to the city to take part in electoral campaigns ahead of the city corporation polls.

Apu, manager of Hotel Athena, told The Daily Star that all 35 of their rooms are already booked till the election date of July 30 by AL activists and a number of union parishad chairmen. Another hotel of theirs, Arena, is also already booked till that day.

Tariqul Alom Mithu, chairman of Muladi upazila and AL president of the upazila, said he rented a room at Hotel Ali to take part in campaigning.

The high-end hotel has all but one single room already booked, its manager told The Daily Star.

Former home minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury of BNP also came to Barisal recently for two days, and rented a VIP suite at Hotel Sedona.

Milon, manager of Sedona, said hotel rooms are not available due to heavy rush of election campaigners. Many activists and members of both AL and BNP are now in the hotel, he said.

Pervej Akon Biplob, district president of Jubo Dal, said Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (a pro-BNP student organisation) central committee president Rajib Ahsan came to Barisal to join election campaign, and was staying at a hotel.

Meanwhile, Returning Officer (RO) of the city polls, Mujibur Rahaman said they have already sent a letter to all hotels not to receive any new boarder after July 27 midnight. He added no outsider will be allowed to stay after the deadline for campaign purposes.

Mohiuddin Ahamed, a businessman who came from Dhaka to Barisal for personal reasons, told The Daily Star that he managed to book a single room after a lot of hassle, and was told that he cannot stay there after July 27.

BNP ALLEGES EC OF INACTION

Meanwhile, BNP-backed mayoral candidate of Barisal, Mojibor Rahman Sarwar yesterday said all hotels of Barisal are packed with outsiders, causing concern among citizens. He alleged that local administration and Election Commission are yet to take any visible step to hold a free and fair election.

Sarwar made the remarks during campaign at Wapda, Charer Bari and Christian Colony areas of the city.

RULE VIOLATION CONTINUES

Mayoral and councillor contenders have set up election campaign offices in the city violating electoral code of conduct.

According to the EC, each mayoral candidate can establish one office in every thana of the city corporation, while each commissioner candidate can have one each at their respective wards.

However, visiting various parts of the city, it was found that more than one camp office was set up by both AL and BNP candidates. The reporter found such offices in wards 1, 11, 12 and 24.