7 pro-BNP candidates boycott vote in Barisal, Jhenidah

Amid enthusiasm among locals, voters of 97 upazilas in 40 districts are casting their votes since 8am on Wednesday in the first of the upazila elections. The voting will continue till 4.00pm without any break. Meanwhile, bringing allegation of vote rigging against the ruling party activists, BNP has called hartal (shutdown) in Gournadi upazila of Barisal district, Sujanagar of Pabna district and Shailkupa upazila of Jhenidah district for Thursday. Earlier, an Awami League-backed chairman was jailed for three months on charge of driving out voters and agents of BNP-backed candidate from a polling centre in Jhenidah. In Barisal, six pro-BNP chairman and vice-chairman candidates boycotted the election in Gauranadi alleging that the supporters of ruling party candidates were obstructing their followers from casting their votes. BNP-supported chairman candidate Abul Hossain Mia, two of its rebel chairman candidates — Lokman Khan and Nur-e-Alam — vice-chairman candidate Mehidi Hasan and rebel candidate Sharif Zahid Sazzad and vice chairman candidate Taslima Begum declared their election boycott at a joint press briefing around 09:45am. In Jhenidah, pro-BNP chairman candidate Rakibul Hasan of Shailkupa upazila boycotted the election as supporters of ruling party candidates prevented his supporters from casting their votes. A total of 432 candidates are vying for chairmen, 513 for vice chairmen, and 329 for vice chairwomen in the first phase of the local body polls, according to a news agency.