KHULNA, Dec 30: All constituencies of Khulna have turned into festival areas as thousands of voters thronged different centres to cast their votes. Despite mild cold wave, the presence of voters was high at the polling centres. While visiting several polling centres in Khulna-2 and Khulna-3 constituencies, this correspondent found that huge voters were waiting in long queue for casting their votes. After casting vote at the city's Ahsanullah College, Awami League (AL) candidate Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel, nephew of Bangabandhu, said people cast votes peacefully amid fanfare and festivity.
Voters become happy as EVM system is very easy to cast vote, he said. Replying to a question, the AL candidate Jewel said, the complaint of BNP candidate Nazrul Islam is not true. As they always lie about polls, it is not true that their polling agents were obstructed in the centres, he said. Earlier, BNP candidate Nazrul Islam Manju alleged that voting environment did not prevail in
the city.
Requesting voters and their party men to stay at the centres till the end of voting, the BNP candidate alleged both AL men and law enforcement agencies intercepted sheaf of paddy voters and forcefully ousted his polling agents from different centres.
While talking to newsmen, Khulna Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Helal Hossain said voters cast their votes with festive mood. Quoting voters, DC Helal Hossen said many voters were against EVM. After casting votes in Khulna-2 Constituency, they expressed that they opposed this system without understanding about EVM.
"I have not received any complaint during my visit to at least 15 to 20 centres from 7:45am," he said. Meanwhile, Jatiya Party candidate Sunil Shuvo Roy, also press secretary of the party chief H M Ershad, Jamaat candidates Mia Golam Parwar and Abul Kalam Azad of Khulna-1, Khulna-5 and Khulna-6 constituencies boycotted their candidatures on Sunday noon alleging many irregularities.
