Vote rigging, sporadic violence, attempts to take over the polling centre marked the first Banchharam municipality election held yesterday.
At least 20 people, along with two journalists were injured in clashes during the vote casting. However, despite the untoward incidents and rain, there was noticeable presence of voters.
It was learned that around 9:30am, supporters of mayor candidate Khalilur Rahman alias Tipu Molla got into a clash with police at the SM Pilot High School poll centre.
When journalists went to the spot, the district correspondent for Channel24 Md Riaz Uddin and cameraman Prakash Das were beaten up.
At the Jagannathpur Primary School centre around 10am, supporters of mayor candidates Tofazzal Hossain and Khalilur Rahman got into a clash, injuring atleast 10 from both sides.
One of the injured Awlad Hossain Mollah was sent to Dhaka for treatment and three were treated at the upazila health complex.
At the upazila’s Palli Bidyut Mor area around 2pm, supporters of two councillor candidates got into a fight but police brought the situation under control using tear gas and baton charge.
However, it was seen upon visit at the poll centres that voters were queued up to cast their votes. One nonagenarian voter, Abul Hossain, also came to cast his vote at around 1pm.
His son, who carried Abul Hossain to the polling centre, said: “My father really wanted to vote in the first municipality election. So I brought him here despite the difficulties.”
At the Banchharampur Pilot Girls’ High School centre, 700 of 2,712 votes were cast by 10am. At the Jagannathpur centre, Presiding Officer Dr Abdul Awal Bhuiyan said 1,287 of the 2,238 votes were cast by 1pm.
Upazil Election Officer Soumen Biswas said the polls was peaceful despite the rain. “I expect that more than 70% of the votes have been cast,” he added.
Banchharampur police station Officer-in-Charge Angshu Kumar Dev said: “Apart from the one or two incidents of violence, the polls went peacefully.”
