Agents of all candidates left a polling centre at Nangalkot upazila in
Cumilla after the presiding officer barred an agent from entering the centre.
The incident happened at the Tuguria Government Primary School centre under Adra Union of the upazila.
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 of 'pineapple' symbol candidate Abu Yusuf Bhuiyan, arrived. He was denied entry for arriving after the specified time. Then they removed all agents from the centre alongwith the candidate's supporters. They are now preventing voters from coming. Currently, there is only one agent for a chairman candidate at the centre."
Meanwhile, 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. As we did not pay the expenses, agents who arrived late were not allowed in. Therefore, supporters of all the candidates are demanding the removal of this official."
TF
