Vote halted in 26 centres

Violence has forced suspension of voting in 26 centres in the third phase of the Upazila council elections, the Election Commission has said.

Ballot boxes were snatched and set on fire while supporters of candidates fought pitched battles at several centres during Saturday’s polling.

Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak told reporters that returning officers stopped polling in those centres in 13 Upazilas.

Of the voting centres, four are in Chandpur’s Kochua Upazila, two in Hajiganj, one in Rajshahi’s Charghat, one in Kishoreganj’s Kuliarchar, three in Feni’s Dagonbhuiyan, three in Comilla’s Nagolkot, one in Titas and two others in Chouddogram, three in Mymensingh’s Muktagachha, one in Jessore’s Monirampur, one in Lakshmipur’s Komolnagar and three in Barisal’s Hizla and another in Sadar.

Voting took place in 5,444 centres in 81 Upazilas. The Election Commission officials were apparently ‘pleased’ by the fewer number of the affected polling centres than the previous two phases.

In the first phase, polling had been suspended in 11 centres on Feb 19 and in the second phase on Feb 27, voting was stopped in 35 centres and all centres in one Upazila.

Hinting at Bangladesh’s history of violent polls, Mobarak said: “It will take long time before Bangladesh sees an election without violence. Maybe, one day we will see a violence-free election in our country.”