Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Amjad Hossain and Assistant Police Commissioner (Detective Branch) Gazi Jasim Uddin answered various questions of the EC and defended themselves.

During the hearing the representatives of the Nagarik Committee that backs ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury as mayoral candidate accused the Chittagong police administration of favouring the ruling alliance candidate.

Sources said the Nagarik Committee representatives complained to the EC that the police were harassing the opposition activists in different parts of the city. The CMP commissioner is often found in the vehicle of Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin, the state minister for civil aviation and tourism and ruling party candidate, they alleged.

The EC heard both sides and decided to deliver judgement tomorrow.

"We have completed the hearing. We will review the documents submitted by the Nagarik Committee in favour of their allegations," Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali told The Daily Star after the hearing.

Questioning the role of the local police administration, advocate Ranadas Gupta, co-chairman of the Nagarik Committee, said free and fair election is not possible until the police administration stops harassing the opposition activists.

The CMP commissioner, however, admitted that he was compelled to get in the car of Mir Nasir after the announcement of the election schedule.

"An anonymous caller told me that life of the state minister had come under threat at a programme on the Chittagong Medical College premises. I rushed there and rescued him. Then the state minister asked me to get in his car. I just followed his direction as a government official," sources said quoting the CMP commissioner.

The CMP commissioner said the police were not harassing any opposition activist. "We arrested some opposition activists in connection with the criminal activities."