Agents of all candidates exited in protest after the presiding officer barred an agent from entering the Comilla upazila polls late.
The incident occurred at the Tuguria Government Primary School centre in Adra Union of Nangalkot upazila on Wednesday.
Consequently, the polling station was left without agents and few voters. In one booth, only two votes were cast in one and a half hours, while in another, only five votes were cast.
Sarwar Alam, the presiding officer of the centre, said: "There are 2,360 registered voters at the Tuguria Government Primary School centre, which has five polling booths. Polling started at 8am, but at 8:35am, an agent for the ‘pineapple’ symbol candidate, Abu Yusuf Bhuiyan, arrived. He was denied entry for arriving after the specified time. Consequently, we removed the agent from the centre along with the candidate's supporters. They are now preventing voters from coming. Currently, there is only one agent for a chairman candidate at the centre.”
Mahfuzul Haque, the joint convenor of the Awami League and supporter of the “fountain pen” symbol candidate, said: "The police and the presiding officer demanded expenses from us. Since we did not comply, agents who arrived late were not allowed in. Therefore, supporters of all the candidates are demanding the removal of this official.”
The sentiment was echoed by Abu Sufian Julius, the chief agent for the “pineapple” symbol, and Saiful Islam, the agent for the “cup and saucer” symbol.
Comilla Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Khandaker Ashfakuzzaman said: "It is a matter for the presiding officer to handle."