Stray incidents mark UP polls in Barisal, Khulna
Polls cancelled at a Bhola centre; 7 jailed; 16 agents expelled for violating code of conduct
Women voters stand in a queue on the ground of Kashipur Government Primary School in Baintala union under Rampal upazila of Bagerhat district during yesterday's union parishad election. Inset, octogenarian Hazera Begum takes the trouble to walk towards Shanuhar High School polling centre in Bamrail union under Uzirpur upazila of Barisal to exercise her right to franchise.Photo: STAR
Stray incidents marked the elections to union parishads under different upazilas in Barisal and Khulna divisions yesterday. Vote casting at Muhammad Hossain Registered Primary School Vote Centre at Dakkhin Veduria under Veduria union of Bhola Sadar upazila was cancelled at about 9:30am following clashes between followers of rival UP member candidates, reports our Barisal correspondent. Law enforcers arrested three UP member candidates and three election workers and a mobile court led by a magistrate awarded them two years' jail for violence and violating election rule, said Sukharanjan Sammadar, additional police superintendent of Bhola. The convicts are UP member candidates Shafikul Islam Patwari, Md Sadek and Lokman Hossain Patwari and their workers Md Manzur Alam, Nure Alam and Md Suman. "When the workers of the rival UP member candidates engaged in clashes with lethal weapons, hurled bombs and snatched ballot boxes, I postponed vote casting and informed the higher authorities," Rafikul Islam, presiding officer of the centre, said. Hasanuzzaman, Bhola district election officer, said, "The higher authority declared vote casting of that centre (bearing serial No 92) having 1,791 voters cancelled." Saifur Rahman Kochi, upazila BNP assistant organizing secretary and chairman candidate of Chandshi UP under Gournadi upazila of Barisal at a press conference at his residence at 1:00pm yesterday said he submitted written allegations to the returning officer and presiding officers concerned and boycotted the election, alleged that a ruling party backed chairman candidate took control of all of the nine vote centres and ousted polling agents of the rivals and rigged ballots openly. Election officials could not be contacted for comment as of filing this report. Polls in 93 unions of 12 upazilas under Barisal division yesterday were held peacefully except some stray incidents, said Manirul Islam, acting deputy election commissioner in charge of Barisal division, and Dr Abdur Rahim, deputy inspector general of police (Barisal Range). Our Patuakhali correspondent reports: An executive magistrate awarded a member candidate one month's jail on charge of giving threat to voters and creating obstacle on the way of minority voters' going to the polling centre during vote at south Kanakdia Government Primary School Centre at about 3:00pm yesterday. The convict, Moniruzzaman, is a member candidate for ward No 9 in Kanakdia UP. Executive magistrate expelled all 16 polling agents of different candidates of Fazlul Haque Dakhil Madrasah centre at about 11:00am on charge of doing irregularities including use of cell phones inside the centre, said Mahmudur Rahman, UNO of Baufal. The polls, however, continued following appointment of 18 new polling agents, he added. Another executive magistrate fined Tk 5,000 to Nazrul Islam, 35, husband of a female member candidate for reserved seat of Rajnagor area in Boga UP, at about 12 noon as Nazrul was carrying voters by his motorbike, violating code of conduct. A voter was injured in a clash between supporters of two rival member candidates at south Shoula Government Primary School in Kalaiya UP under the upazila. Our Satkhira correspondent adds: Three people including two army personnel were detained on charge of distributing sarees and lungis among the voters to coax them to caste vote in favour of a chairman candidate from village Nangla under Anulia union in Assassuni upazila on Monday afternoon. The arrestees are army personnel Ishaque Sana and Ershad Sana and Toyebur Rahman Sana of village Nangla. "As the three were allegedly distributing sarees and lungis among the people urging them to caste vote in favour of chairman candidate Ruhul Quddus contesting from Anulia Union parishad election, villagers caught them. The UP election was held yesterday.
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