Ruling Awami League’s candidate in the Dhaka-10 by-polls Shafiul Islam could not cast his vote as neither his fingerprint nor the NID number matched with the server record.
He was a voter of Uttara area in Dhaka. He migrated to the centre.
Shafiul came to cast his vote at Kalabagan Lake Circus School centre around 9:50 in the morning. Like all other polling centres of Dhaka-10, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are being used in voting at Kalabagan Lake Circus School centre.
“Shafiul Islam is a voter of the capital’s Uttara area. He became a voter of Dhaka-10 constituency by migrating. But it seems the migration process was not completed properly for some problems,” presiding officer Ahsanul Haque told Prothom Alo.
Shafiul could not cast his vote until 10:45am. He was at the centre while filing of this report.
Earlier on 1 February, Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda also could not cast his vote using electronic voting machines that were used in the elections to Dhaka south and north city corporations.
By-polls to three parliamentary constituencies -- Dhaka-10, Gaibandha-3 and Bagerhat-4 -- began in the morning amid the threat of novel coronavirus infection in Bangladesh.
Over one million people are eligible for exercising their franchise in the three constituencies. The voting began at 9:00am and will continue until 5:00pm without any break.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are being used in Dhaka-10 while traditional ballot papers in Gaibandha-3 and Bagerhat-4.
Despite heavy criticism, the election commission (EC) has not postponed the by-polls.
At a regular media briefing on COVID-19 at the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in capital’s Mohakhali on Friday, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) professor Nasima Sultana said voting in EVMs carries the risk of coronavirus contamination.
The Dhaka-10 fell vacant as the ruling party MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh resigned on 29 December to contest the Dhaka South City Corporation elections.