The turnout of voters for the 10th Parliament Elections was remarkably low at Narayanganj polling centres.
A number of people also accused local Awami League activists of casting false votes in favour of their candidate.
The Dhaka Tribune’s Narayanganj correspondent, who visited a couple of polling centres in Narayanganj-1 constituency, reports that the centres were almost empty during the morning hours.
There were only a small number of people in queues at polling centres at the start of voting at Kenduyapara Government Primary School, and Aladi Senior Madrasa in the constituency.
Awami League activists were present at every centre and they chanted slogans around the centres.
Polling agents at Aladi Senior Madrasa polling centre said only 80 out of 3545 votes were cast at the centre from 8am to 10:30am.
One candidate, Dr Shawakat Aliin, said at a press briefing, held around 1pm, that he boycotted the election as his polling agents were driven away by the polling agents of Golam Dastagir Gazi, an Awami League nominated candidate and the previous MP of the constituency.
Shawakat Ali claimed that his rival’s polling agents forced his polling agents to leave the centres at more than 50 polling centres, and that Golam Dastagir’s supporters’ then casted false votes in his (Golam’s) favour.
Later, around 3pm in the afternoon, Mir Anwar Hossain, chief election coordinator of the Jatiya Party candidate Zainul Abedin Chawdhury, also claimed that the Jatiya Party candidate decided to boycott polls as Awami League activists were casting false votes in favour of their own candidate.
After all the votes had been cast, Monoj Kumar Kanti Boral, returning officer and district commissioner of Naraynganj, claimed the vote had been peaceful.