Desperate to ensure victory ruling Awami League men adopted strategies like capture of polling centres, stuffing and hijacking of ballot boxes and also driving away agents of the BNP backed candidates from the booths. Another aspect of Monday’s election was boycott by at least 19 BNP backed and rebel candidates bringing allegation of massive rigging and booth captures.
Meanwhile, the fifth and final phase of 73 upazila election under 35 districts ended on Monday amid reports of violence including clashes, suspension of voting, massive rigging and boycott by the highest number of BNP backed chairmen and vice chairmen candidates.
Counting of votes began shortly after balloting ended. The polling was held from 8am to 4pm without any break.
At least 19 candidates of whom 17 backed by BNP boycotted Monday’s upazila polls alleging rigging and capture of the polling centers by the supporters of ruling party backed candidates and also driving out their polling agents.
Two rebel candidates of Awami League also boycotted the polls.
Hours before staring polls, a local Jubo League leader was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Laxmipur Sadar upazila early Monday.
Meanwhile, scores of people were injured in clashes among supporters of rival candidates in different places including Narayanganj and in Tangail. Police had to open fire in Tangail and Narayanganj to bring the situation under control.
Supporters of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Party staged demonstration blocking Tangail-Mymensingh highway in Ghatail upazila protesting vote rigging by Awami League (AL) men.
Five persons were injured when police fired rubber bullet to disperse them from the area.
In another incident, five BNP and AL men were injured when BNP men clashed with AL supporters in protest of vote rigging by the ruling party activists in Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj.
A clash between supporters of chairman candidates backed by ruling Awami League (AL) and BNP men was reported from Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj during polls.
Voting was halted at Aturia Government School polling centre in the upazila following the clash over booth capture by ruling party men.
Meanwhile, miscreants stuffed a total 1800 ballot papers after creating panic by exploding crude bombs at Chhagalnaiya Primary School poliing center in Feni on Monday morning.
Confirming the matter, presiding officer of the center Ahamad Hossain told the media that dozens of miscreants forcefully entered the center at 2.30pm and cast fake votes at gunpoint.
BNP-backed chairman candidate Nur Ahammad Majumder alleged that supporters of AL backed candidate Meshba Ul Haider Chowdhury took control of six polling centers of the upazila (Chhagalnaiya) before voting began.
He made the allegation while talking to the media at Satanagar Goshailghat Primary school polling center in the morning.
Meanwhile, voting was suspended at 12 centres in Barguna’s Amtali upazila barely half an hour after polling began, a polling official said.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Abdullah said the decision was taken following allegations of irregularities and capture of polling centre, reports our Patuakhali correspondent.
