Bangladesh News

Polls were suspended in five upazilas and at over 50 polling centres of other upazilas due to deterioration of law and order, intimidation of voters and irregularities in the yesterday’s upazila polls held across the country.

In the verbal reports to the Election Commission (EC), the returning officers (ROs) showed the reasons and sought EC’s directives to suspend the voting in those upazilas and centres, sources at the EC Secretariat said.

They informed the EC that it was not possible to continue the polling under the prevailing circumstances.

Voting for the upazilas of Belkuchi in Sirajganj, Barura in Comilla, Ramganj in Laxmipur and Brahmanbaria Sadar were suspended after the polling began while polls to Ukhia upazila in Cox’s Bazar was postponed Wednesday night following the massive violence in the area.

Earlier, the EC postponed the election to Dighinala upazila of Khagrachhari following abduction of a contender.

Finally, 479 upazilas out of 481 went to the polls yesterday morning.

Election Commission (EC) has suspended polling to the upazilas and centres for the reports of capturing polling stations, driving out polling agents, stuffing ballot papers, irregularities and political influence, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said to the reporters.

He said EC finally suspended elections to those upazilas and polling centres after cross checking the allegations of irregularities.

The EC Secretariat till 10:15pm could not confirm the accurate number of polling stations where the voting has been suspended. Officials at the EC Secretariat, however, estimated that the number might be 50 to 70.