Massive irregularities, rigging, violence, and boycotts marked the third phase of the ongoing upazila parishad elections held on Wednesday amid low voter turnout.
In many places, agents and fake voters were jailed and fined for involving themselves in vote-ringing and creating violence.
Election officials in various places allegedly showed inaction despite open vote rigging, while candidates boycotted the polls in the middle of voting in many of the 87 upazilas where voting was held.
Speaking to reporters at his office, chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said that the voter turnout in the third phase of the upazila parishad polls was around 35 per cent.
鈥榁oter turnout could be more or less 35 per cent. It will take 20鈥�22 hours to get the exact figure,鈥� he said immediately after voting ended.
The CEC claimed that the voting was conducted in a fair, free, and orderly manner, adding that law enforcement agencies played a 鈥榗ommendable role鈥� and polling officers 鈥榗ontributed significantly鈥� to the polls.
Some untoward incidents were held in an isolated way, he said, adding that 30 people were arrested for attempting to rig votes.
鈥楢ll in all, it was a good election,鈥� Awal suggested.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Noakhali reported that Shahadat Hossain, the younger brother of ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, boycotted the Companiganj upazila parishad polls in Noakhali, bringing an allegation of vote rigging.
Another chairman candidate, upazila Awami League general secretary Mizanur Rahman, also boycotted the election.
Bringing allegations of fake votes, grabbing of polling centres, and vote rigging, both the chairman candidates announced the vote boycott around 12:00pm.
They alleged that Companiganj upazila Awami League president and Bashurhat mayor Abdul Quader Mirza鈥檚 son and nephews occupied the polling centres in favour of their preferred candidate, Golam Sharif.
Quader Mirza is also a brother of Obaidul Quader.
鈥楳irza鈥檚 supporters forced my agents out of centres and cast votes for the pineapple symbol. At least 20 of my followers were injured. I demand the cancellation of this election,鈥� Shahadat said.
In Sunamganj, an agent was detained with a knife at a polling centre and was jailed for six months.
Judicial magistrate Halim Uddin detained agent Mashuk Miah from the Doarabazar Government Model High School centre during the voting and handed him the jail terms.
Mashuk was the agent of independent candidate Ariful Islam Jewel, an expelled leader of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which boycotted the election.
抖阴精品 staff correspondent in Rajshahi reported that a former leader of AL鈥檚 student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, took a selfie with the sealed ballot paper inside the secret booth of a polling station and shared it on his Facebook wall, displaying his vote.
Md Omar Faruk Fardeen, former acting general secretary of the BCL Rajshahi district unit, however, removed the photo from his Facebook wall hours after huge criticism.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Brahmanbaria reported that there was no trace of woman vice-chairman candidate Priti Khandakar of Bijoynagar upazila parishad election until 2.00 pm on Wednesday after she went missing on the previous day.
Priti鈥檚 husband, Masud Khandakar, filed a general diary at the Bijoyanagar police station on Wednesday around 10:00am.
Masud Khandakar is a resident of the village Khatinga in the Paharpur union of Bijoynagor.
鈥楳y wife went on an election campaign on Tuesday noon with three women. She went to the Hrishi Para area of Harashpur to meet people. After a while, Priti went missing,鈥� Masud said.
He accused a rival candidate of abducting his wife.
Bijoynagor police station officer-in-charge, Md Asadul Islam, said they were investigating the allegation.
In Faridpur, a mobile court sentenced a youth to six months in jail on charge of casting a fake vote at a polling station in Faridpur Sadar upazila.
The convict is Arif Matubbar, 26, son of Dadan Matubbar of Mujircharkandi village in Charnasipur union of the upazila.
Faridpur鈥檚 senior judicial magistrate, Md Shawon Hossain, also fined the convict Tk 1000, or two more days in default.
Magistrate Shawon said the youth was jailed for casting a fake vote at the Abdul Hakim Matubbardangi Government Primary School Centre under Section 72 of the Upazila Parishad Election Rules-2013.
Election commission secretary Jahangir Alam told reporters in Dhaka that elections to 20 upazilas, which were suspended due to Cyclone Remal, will be held on June 9.
Initially, the EC was scheduled to hold elections in 112 upazilas in the third phase. But it suspended elections in 22 upazilas due to Cyclone Remal.
It also withheld elections in two upazilas due to a High Court order and the deaths of candidates.
The first phase of the polls was held in 139 upazilas of 59 districts on May 8, while the second phase was held in 156 upazilas on May 21.
The fourth phase of the election in over 50 upazilas will be held on June 5.
