Photo : Collected
The elections in 139 upazilas in the first phase ended on Wednesday amid low voter turnout, clashes, explosions, and arrests on allegations of casting fake votes.
Like national elections, polling stations were almost empty. Election officials in polling stations spent idle time chatting with each other.
According to the Election Commission (EC), 7-8 per cent votes were cast on average in the first two hours while it was 15-20 per cent after four hours. After voting ended, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said 30-40 per cent votes were cast.
There were 34 incidents of violence at polling stations. 25 people were injured and 37 were arrested. According to the information from the field level, there were threats, irregularities, chaos, and isolated conflicts in Khagrachari's Lakxmichhari, Bogura, Bholahat, Gaibandha’s Phulchari, Lakshmipur, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Sunamganj, Sirajganj, Thakurgaon, Meherpur, Brahmanbaria, and Narayanganj. There were serious allegations that presiding officers and Ansar members cast fake votes on behalf of candidates.
Civil society members have expressed concern over the gradual decline in voter turnout. Many did not accept the CEC's comment that turnout fell due to paddy harvesting season.
Analysts say that a large segment of citizens did not vote in the national elections and at least 50 political parties did not contest the upazila polls, which resulted in low turnout. Apart from that, the EC could not ensure the security of candidates before the elections. Seeing that, many voters did not go to polling stations to cast votes.
Election expert and Shujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar told The Daily Messenger that the tradition of voting disappeared from the country long ago.
“Voters' confidence in the current EC is low, and this was proved again after the national elections. Apart from this, it can be assumed that a big party boycotted the polls, which affected turnout.”
Presiding officer arrested in Bogura: The police arrested the presiding officer and the agent of the pineapple symbol candidate in Rameshwarpur union of Gabtali upazila in Bogura for sending ballot papers outside the polling station. Presiding Officer Shahjahan Ali and Agent Ershad Ali were arrested from Majhpara Kusum Koli Government Primary School around 11:30am. Additional Superintendent of Police Suman Ranjan said that Presiding Officer Shahjahan Ali sent 900 ballot papers with signatures and seals outside the polling station through Agent Ershad Ali. Then 300 ballots were put in the box through voters. Later, Ershad was arrested and 600 ballots were recovered. Besides, another 900 ballot papers were recovered from the presiding officer.
Clash of two candidates in Lakshmipur: In the Ramgati upazila, there was a clash between the supporters of two chairman candidates at Madhya Char Afzal Government Primary School centre. At least 10-12 people were injured. Saidur Rahman, presiding officer of the centre, said that there was a chase and counter-chase between the supporters of the two candidates outside the polling stations.
Voting suspended in a Munshiganj station: A polling station was occupied in Gazaria of Munshiganj and the polling agents of the opposition candidate were beaten up and the ballot papers were sealed. The administration suspended polling at the centre. The incident took place at Hossaindi High School centre at around 2pm. Miscreants entered the centre and sealed ballots.
Chairman candidate Mansoor Ahmed Khan Jinnah's polling agent Alam Khan said that at least 100-150 youths led by UP Chairman Monirul Haque Mithu, a supporter of Amirul Islam, candidate of the pineapple symbol, entered the polling station and beat them out. They snatched the ballots and sealed them. When the matter was reported to the police, they suspended votes.
Clash, explosion in Madaripur: There was a clash between the supporters of two chairman candidates over occupying a centre in Madaripur Sadar. At this time, about 50 bombs exploded. At least 15 people from both sides were injured. The incident took place near No 95 Balia Government Primary School of Mustafapur union. Police Superintendent Masud Alam said that there was a clash between supporters of the two chairman candidates of pineapple and motorcycle symbols.
10 injured in clash in Sunamganj: 10 people were injured in the clash between the supporters of the two chairman candidates with horse and pineapple symbols in front of Chabbisha Government Primary School centre in Sunamganj's Shalla. The clash took place in front of Chabbisha village centre of union 4 of Shalla. Clashes broke out between the two candidates when the supporters of horse symbol chairman candidate Avni Mohan Das and pineapple symbol chairman candidate Ganendra Chandra Sarkar requested the voters in different ways to vote for their preferred candidates.
UP Chairman arrested with money to buy votes: Police arrested a chairman of Union Parishad (UP) named Zahurul Islam with cash while buying votes for the chairman candidate in Belkuchi, Sirajganj. He was arrested from near Tamai Paschimpara Government Primary School polling station in Belkuchi Upazila at around 12 noon. Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Zulhaj Uddin said that Chairman Zahurul Islam was buying votes for the ink-pen symbol next to Tamai Paschimpara Government Primary School Center. On receiving the information, the police went to the spot and arrested him.
Youth arrested for casting fake vote: Police arrested a youth named Rakibul Islam while casting fake vote in Thakurgaon. He was arrested from Bara Palashbari government primary school center number 19 of Baliadangi upazila of the district at 12 noon. The arrested Rakibul Islam is a resident of Jalalbasti village of Bara Palashbari union of upazila.
Jail, fine to three people for casting fake votes: The mobile court has jailed and fined three people in the Mujibnagar upazila election of Meherpur for the crime of casting fake votes. A separate mobile court gave this order at Bagwan Primary School and Biswanathpur Primary School polling station around 3:30 PM. According to court sources, Ritvik Hossain and Babul Sheikh were arrested from Bagwan Polling Station for the crime of casting fake votes. At the same time, Mahfuz Hossain was arrested from Biswanathpur polling station.
Chase and counter-chase in Brahmanbaria: There was a chase and counter-chase during the occupation of the polling station in Nasrinagar, Brahmanbaria. Polling Officer Palash Sarkar was seriously injured. The incident took place at the Ratanpur Government Primary School polling station around 11:00 am. According to locals and police, the supporters of Sheikh Humayun, the candidate for the post of Vice Chairman in Ward 2 Ratanpur of Chatalpar Union, wanted to take over the center with advance preparations. When the polling officer first stopped him, he was attacked with local weapons. Nasirnagar Upazila Assistant Returning Officer Md. Shahidul Islam said, “I heard about the beating of the polling officer in the polling station.”
In Narayanganj, agent was beaten: In the Bandar Upazila Parishad election of Narayanganj, an agent of a candidate for the post of chairman was accused of being beaten up. At the same time, there was an incident of bursting firecrackers from another center.
The name of the agent who was beaten was Farooq. He is the polling agent of pineapple symbol chairman candidate Maksud Hossain. Madanpur Union Parishad Chairman MA Salam's followers were blamed for this incident by the pineapple symbol candidate and Jatiya Party District Vice President Maksud Hossain. On the other hand, there were at least 13 firecracker explosions at Kushiara Haji Abdul Malek High School in Bandar Union. At that time, BCL leaders working for the chairman candidate MA Rashid were standing in front of the center. Later, the police came and removed the Chhatra League, but they repeatedly caused explosions.
CEC Kazi Habibul Awal mentioned rains and paddy harvesting season as the reason for low voter turnout. He said the voting rate could be between 30 and 40 per cent. “I learned that the voters did not come to the polling station as they were harvesting paddy. Apart from this, stormy rain has occurred in some places. More turnout would have been better.”
“There were some sporadic clashes. Some clashes have resulted in injuries. There have been limited irregularities in a few centres. We have taken immediate action. Polling has been suspended in two centres.”
The CEC said that the administration, police, law enforcement agencies were alert enough and were active in fulfilling their duties.
“They performed their duties with professionalism. That's why the situation was good. According to the information received from our control room, 34 violent incidents took place. 25 people were injured and 37 people were arrested. These incidents happened outside the polling station.”
Messenger/Fameema
