Voting at Sylhet centre disrupted by clash

Voting at the Mirabazar Model High School polling centre in the Sylhet City Corporation was interrupted for 45 minutes after a clash between two candidates for councillor.

The clash between supporters of ABM Zillur Rahman Ujjal and Sajed Ahmed Chowdhury Bapan occurred around 11am on Monday.

Voting at the centre was interrupted from 11am to 11:45am because of the clash.

Ujjal alleges that ballot papers were stolen at this time.

“Candidates running under the Radio and Kite symbols have been stuffing ballot boxes since this morning.”

The centre’s Presiding Officer Kazi Ashiqur Rahman told bdnews24.com: “The vote is proceeding fairly and peacefully. It has not been halted.”

After journalists informed Rahman about the situation he entered a booth to find that it had run out of ballot papers and then replaced them.

Though the booths were reopened at 11:45am, few were waiting to cast their ballots. Many had turned away after being unable to vote.

Awami League mayoral candidate Bodor Uddin Ahmed Kamran had been present at the centre during the disruption.

When informed about the allegations of ballot stuffing, he said: “It wasn’t the mayoral race. It was among candidates for councillor.”