Cops bar media at polling centres

Law enforcers obstructed media persons from entering polling centres when they went to cover elections to the two Dhaka city corporations today.

The centres are: Mirza Abbas Women's University College at Shahjahanpur, Mirpur Bangla College and School and Rajdhani Model High School, Jamal Sarder Community Centre, Alia Madrasa and Banglabazar Government High School.

The reporters however were allowed to enter the centres later.

At 8:08am, our photo journalist reported that he was not allowed to enter Mirza Abbas Women's University College at Shahjahanpur.

The law enforcers deployed there told the reporter that the Election Commission has introduced a new rule barring newsmen from entering the polling centres.

The photojournalist however was allowed to enter the centre around 8:45am saying that they just got the permission from the EC.

Law enforcers barred two of The Daily Star correspondents from entering Jamal Sarder Community Centre, Alia Madrasa, and Banglabazar Government High School polling centres under Dhaka South City Corporation.

As the journalists were allowed to enter the cebtres later, the law enforcers put restriction of taking snaps of the polling centre.

Policemen also obstructed photographers from entering Rajdhani Model High School around 10:30am.

Akkas Ali Sheikh, presiding officer at the polling centre, said that he did not have permission to allow cameras inside.

Voting was progressing there peacefully, Akkas Ali said.