Rangpur polls: At least 30 percent votes cast in four hours

At least 30 percent of the voters cast their votes in the Rangpur city polls, according to an estimate by the Election Commission.

“We estimate that at least 30 percent of the voters have cast votes between 8am and 12noon. The rate may increase later in the day,” acting EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed has told bdnews24.com. 

“The polls are going on peacefully. No complaints so far. We are getting live updates. People are exercising their voting rights in a festive environment,” he said. 

Returning Officer Subhash Chandra Sarker has described the rate as “satisfactory”.

This year, the division has nearly 400,000 registered voters and a total 193 polling centres. Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs are being used in one of them, which is the centre No. 141, Government Begum Rokeya College under ward 25.

A total of 2,059 voters are registered under this centre, said Presiding Officer Azharul Islam Dulal.

A good number of female voters came to the centre to cast votes, he added.

EC officials in Dhaka offices are constantly monitoring the polls through CCTV cameras that have been installed at three of the centres in Rangpur. Returning officers and field officers are keeping them updated.

Rangpur saw 357,742 voters and 173 centres in the city polls held in 2012. Around 78 percent of the voters cast ballots then. This time, the number of voters has increased to 393,894.

The candidates from the Awami League, the BNP, and the Jatiya Party are the main contenders in the Rangpur mayor post.