Voting at 35 centres done before time in Ghatail

Policez fire rubber bullets to disperse the supporters of nine candidates, who boycotted the election to Ghatail upazila parishad in Tangail district yesterday, as the agitators blocked Tangail-Mymensingh road demanding re-election in the upazila, alleging massive polls rigging. PHOTO: STAR

Nine of the 13 candidates in Ghatail upazila in Tangail boycotted yesterday's parishad parishad election as sealed ballot papers had been put into the ballot boxes allegedly in at least 35 polling centres there even before start of the polls at 8:00am.
Around 8:30am, the nine candidates announced boycotting the polls after submitting written statements to Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) Mohammad Kamal Hossain, also the UNO of Ghatail, inn this regard.
Men of the ruling Awami League-backed candidates captured at least 35 polling centres in Sandhyanpur, Rasulpur, Digor and Deopara unions the previous night, sealed the ballot papers and put those into the ballot boxes, they alleged.
Meantime, most of the 99 polling centres in the upazila turned virtually voter less while the all the polling agents of the nine candidates left the centres, sources said.  
Demanding re-election in the upazila, the boycotting candidates and their supporters besieged the assistant returning officer's office at 9:00am.
A large number of people also blocked busy Tangail-Mymensingh Road demanding the same.
At around 11:30am police dispersed the agitators there by firing rubber bullets and tear gas shells.
Five people received bullet injuries during the incident.
ARO Mohammad Kamal Hossain, however, said, "The election boycotters actually raised complaints about 10 centres and I have informed the Election Commission about it for taking decision on the matter."
Voting was cancelled at three centres -- Sandhyanpur Government Primary School, Kuripara Government Primary School and Makrai Government Primary School -- due to snatching of ballot papers by miscreants, he said.
Haider Ali, presiding officer of Makrai Government Primary School centre, said some 50 to 60 people stormed the centre at 5:00am and snatched 500 ballot papers from there.
This correspondent and a few other newsmen went to Ghatail Girls' High School centre at around 2:30pm but found the main gate of the centre locked.
As people standing beside opened the lock, journalists entered the centre and saw no voters there while a group of people were sealing the ballot papers in absence of any polling agents of the nine boycotting candidates.
They, however, immediately left the booth sensing the presence of newsmen.
“I went to cast my vote at Mukul Academy centre in the morning but found that the vote had already been cast," said Sheikh Farid, a lecturer of Brammanshashan Women's College.
Allegations of vote rigging by AL-backed candidates' men were also raised at different centres in Gopalpur and Tangail Sadar upazilas.
“I went to cast my vote at Enayetpur Government Primary School centre but some youths snatched the ballot papers from me and put seal on it for the AL-backed chairman and vice-chairman candidates,” said Farzana Akter Boby, a housewife.
Abdul Hamid Miah, BNP-backed chairman candidate in Tangail Sadar upazila, at a press conference at Tangail Press Club at 3:30pm boycotted the election alleging rigging by the AL-backed chairman candidate's men in at least 25 centres.
“I complained to the returning officer and requested him suspend vote taking at the centres but it was not done,” he added.
Contacted, Returning Officer ASM Mohiuddin Khan, said, "It is the responsibility of the presiding officers concerned to suspend vote taking at centres. Overall, the elections in four upazilas under the district were held peacefully.”