Hartal underway in 9 upazilas

The daylong shutdown, called by local units of BNP in nine upazilas countrywide alleging ouster of their agents and voters at different centres in the upazila elections, is going on without any major untoward incident on Thursday. Polls were held to 97 upazilas on Wednesday and allegations of attempt to manipulate the ballot and vote rigging in nine upazilas were made by the opposition party yesterday. The upazilas include: Sujanagar of Pabna district, Shailkupa of Jhenidah, Gournadi and Bakerganj upazilas of Barisal, Sadar upazila of Meherpur, Sonatala of Bogra, Sadar upazila of Jhenidah, Kazipur of Sirajganj and Bajitpur of Kishoreganj. Local units of the BNP on Wednesday called dawn-to-dusk hartals in those upazilas for today in protest of violence and alleged ‘manipulation’ by the ruling party-backed candidates, according to a news agency.