Pro-BNP candidates allege vote rigging

This March 15 photo shows supporters of ruling Awami League-backed chairman candidate Mosharraf Hossain are casting fake votes in broad daylight at West Bapta Government Primary School centre in Bhola during the third phase upazila parishad elections.

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 when the fourth phase of the upazila parishad election is progressing 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.