Voting halted in 2 Comilla, 8 Patuakhali centres

Voting has been suspended in 2 polling centres in Comilla district and 8 centres in Patuakhali during the 4th phase of Upazila (UZ) Parishad elections. In Comilla, polling was halted in two centres in Borurha Upazila due to snatching of ballot papers on Sunday. Voting was also disrupted in one centre hours after the polling started. Police detained Mazharul Islam, a rebel candidate backed by Awami League, for trying to create trouble. Presiding Officer Fakhruddin Ahmed said voting was halted at the Purbo Nolua Government primary School centre after the incident. Meanwhile, voting was also suspended at Bagmara Government Primary School centre for a similar reason, said Presiding Officer Gobinda Chandra Chakraborty. He said 1,200 ballot papers had been snatched away from his centre. Polling was suspended for sometime at the Kodba Tolagram Kamini High School, Presiding Officer Mohiuddin Mahmud Shahjahan said, and resumed after a while. Borurha Police Station OC AKM Kauser Chowdhury said they had detained Mazharul Islam around 10.45am from outside the Khusbas High School polling station. In Patuakhali, voting has been suspended in eight polling stations in Sadar upazila. Local administration officials claimed, polling in eight centres in was suspended to prevent possible violence and casting of fake votes. Nazmul Alam, district election officer, confirming the incident, said Election Commission suspended vote in 8 centres, including Morich Bunia Darul Sunnah Dakhil Madrasa, Malaikathi Government Primary School, Biruapur Primary School and Nandipara Government Primary School, apprehending violence and vote manipulation, according to a news agency.