Ballot papers snatched, BNP demands suspension of Gazipur polls
Opposition BNP candidate in the Gazipur city polls Hasan Uddin Sarker on Tuesday afternoon demanded suspension of voting following allegations of ballot stuffing and ejection of his agents from polling stations.
He alleged that the voting process was rigged in more than 100 centres.
The returning officer admitted irregularities such as ballot stuffing and BNP agents being ejected or disallowed entry in 5 or 6 centres.
Hasan Sarker said he would submit complaints to the returning officer, demanding immediate halt of the voting.
An incident of ballot stuffing at MA Arif College polling centre was reported at around 10:00am.
A group of young miscreants entered the polling centre, snatched ballot papers and went ahead stamping on the boat symbols for at least an hour, according to witnesses. Voting remained closed at the time.
The miscreants were wearing photo IDs of the ruling Awami League’s mayoral candidate Jahangir Alam, said several voters at the polling station.
“Some of them were pretending to be common voters and stood in the queue while some others were stamping on the ballot papers inside the booth,” a witness said.
“All this happened in front of me. I could do nothing,” said a polling agent on condition of anonymity.
Assistant presiding officer of the centre did not make any comment when asked.
The presiding officer Mahmudul Ali claimed that it was “just a rumour”.
“No such incident took place at the centre. Voting was closed for only 5 or 6 minutes,” Mahmudul claimed.
Shamsur Rahman reported from Gazipur that a person wearing a boat badge was openly stamping ballot papers at Pubail Adarsha College centre.
Agents of Jahangir Alam even pretended to be agents of the BNP candidate, said witnesses there.