Khulna city polls end amid allegations of rigging, vandalism

KHULNA, May 15 (UNB): Awami League mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khalek was unofficially declared elected in the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) election on Tuesday.

Khalek won the election with a big margin bagging 176,902 votes while his nearest rival Nazrul Islam Manju of BNP polled 108,956 in 286 election centres out of a total of 289. The voting was suspended in the remaining three centres due to violence, capturing of polling stations and forced stuffing.

Returning officer Yunus Ali made the announcement around 9:40pm.

Earlier, the balloting in the KCC election was held amid allegations of capturing some polling stations, vote fraud and violence in some areas.

The voting began at 8:00 am and ended at 4:00 pm without any break. The turnout of voters was said to be around 50 per cent.

The returning officer said voting in two polling centres - Labanchora Government Primary School and ward-31 councillor office - was suspended around 2:20 pm due to snatching of ballot papers and forced stuffing.

Besides, voting was suspended at Khulna Govt Iqbal Nagar School centre in ward No 24 following snatching of ballot papers by miscreants around 10:30 am, said presiding officer Khalilur Rahman.

Meanwhile, voting at Fatema High School in Ward No. 22 was suspended for two hours from 10:30 am following an incident of fake voting.

Two bombs were blasted in front of the Khulna Government Women College polling centre around 3:30 pm, halting balloting for some time.

Talukder Abdul Khalek cast his vote at Pioneer Girls' High School polling centre around 8:07am.

BNP mayoral candidate Nazrul Islam Manju alleged that the ruling party men drove his polling agents from at least 40 centres.

He also alleged that his agents were obstructed from entering polling centres in ward No 22.

Besides, the ruling party men beat one of his polling agents at Zila School centre, he said.