BNP calls for hartal in 7 upazilas tomorrow
BNP has called hartal (shutdown) in seven upazilas of Khulna, Barisal and Chuadanga protesting what it termed "vote rigging" by ruling Awami League men during the fourth phase upazila elections today.
The party will enforce a daylong hartal in five upazilas in Khulna and another upazila in Chuadanga while six-hour hartal in an upazila of Barisal.
KHULNA
The district BNP called daylong hartal in Batiaghat, Rupsha, Terokhada, Dakop and Phultala upazila upazilas protesting "vote rigging", said Shafikul Alam Mona, general secretary, of the district BNP.
BARISAL
BNP called hartal in Agoiljhara upazila protesting “vote rigging” at all the 38 centres in the upazila by Awami League men.
Afzal Hossain, BNP-backed chairman candidate, disclosed it at a press conference after boycotting the polls, reports our Barisal correspondent.
He alleged that the election officials were working in favour of the AL-backed candidate.
CHUADANGA
BNP-led 19-party alliance called the daylong hartal in Jibonnagar upazila tomorrow demanding reelection of the upazila polls.
Saidur Rahman Dhondu, district unit vice-president of BNP and also the party-backed chairman candidate, declared the hartal at a press conference at his resident in the town this afternoon.
Demanding cancellation of the voting at all the 53 polling centres in the upazila, he alleged that ruling party men stuffed ballot boxes at Condorpur Govt Primary School and also looted election materials around 11:30am.
Meanwhile, a number of pro-BNP candidates brought allegations of vote rigging, ballot boxes stuffing and taking control of voting centres against the ruling Awami League men during the fourth phase of the upazila parishad election in 91 upazilas of the country today.
The allegation of vote rigging was reported from Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Comilla and Khulna, reports our correspondents.
The activists of ruling Awami League snatched ballot boxes in two centres of Patuakhali Sadar, halting voting there.
Meanwhile, the AL men stuffed ballot boxes at 20 centres in Barura upazila of Comilla nearly a couple of hours before the voting began.
On the other hand, the AL henchmen allegedly took control of almost all of the centres in Agoiljhara upazila of Barisal within two hours of the voting started at 8:00am.
They also took control of two voting centres in Terokhada and Rupsha upazilas of Khulna.
COMILLA
Supporters of AL-blessed candidate Mostafizur Rahman put seal on the ballot papers and stuffed those in ballot boxes at 20 centres in Barura upazila in three hours since 12midnight, Bangla daily Prothom Alo reports.
Meanwhile, Gopal Krishna Chakravarty, presiding officer of Bagmara Poura Government Primary Schools in the upazila, alleged that a gang of miscreants took the officer hostage and snatched 1,200 ballot papers from the centre in the wee hours of today.
Talking to the daily, BNP-backed chairman candidate Abdul Kahlek claimed that the AL-blessed candidate hired people from adjacent Sadar Dakkhin upazila, who sealed ballot papers at 20 out of total 86 centres in the upazila.
BARISAL
In Agoiljhara upazila of Barisal, the ruling party men allegedly rigged votes taking control of almost all the centres among 38.
Jyotindranath Mistri, an AL rebel candidate, urged the returning officer to postpone voting in all the 38 centres.
Afzal Hossain, BNP-backed chairman candidate of the upazila, also echoed the AL rebel candidate.
The pro-BNP and AL-rebel candidates also alleged that the policemen and election officials favoured the supporters of ruling party-backed candidate in rigging votes taking control on all the polling centres, reports our correspondent covering the event.
When contacted, Ranajit Baroi, presiding officers of the centres, claimed that the voting was progressing peacefully.
PATUAKHALI
Ruling AL men snatched ballot boxes and ballot papers from Purba Morichunia Darus Sunnat Dakhil Madrasa and Purba Balaikathi Government Primary School polling centres in Sadar upazila around 9:45am.
Following the incident, election official cancelled the voting, reports our Patuakhali correspondent quoting Najmul Kabir, district election officer.
Meanwhile, elections at six polling centres in the same upazila remained suspended on the allegation of vote rigging by the ruling AL men.
RAJSHAHI
Around 200 AL men took position in front of the gate of Jamgram Government Primary School in Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi since the vote started at 8:00am and were barring supporters of the BNP-backed candidate from entering the centre.
The situation became normal around 10:30am after the law enforcers shot blank fires and dispersed the AL men.
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