Widespread rigging marks Lakshmipur polls

Lakshmipur upazila council voting ended on Monday amid widespread rigging and sporadic violence.

Polls in three centres of Lakshmipur sadar upazila were postponed due to violence.

Ruling Awami League favoured chairman candidate AKM Salauddin's supporters besieged most of the polling centres in presence of law enforcers.

Several voters complained that at Lakshmipur Government Girls' High School polling centre, polling agents of AKM Salauddin,also son of municipality mayor Abu Taher, forced them to vote for the ruling party-backed candidate.

When asked about rigging, Lakshmipur police acting superintendent Sheikh Shariful Islam said he could not understand why the voters were complaining to reporters instead of police.

In several polling centres, supporters of BNP-backed chairman candidate Mahmudul Haque Dipu tried to stop Salauddin's supporters, but law enforcers did not let them do so.

By afternoon, at Kafil Uddin Degree College polling centre a clash broke out between AL and BNP activists when police shot blank fires to bring the situation under control, reports police officer Suvash Chandra.

Later an executive magistrate visited the centre premise along with police striking force and BGB members.