Ctg by-polls: Blast heard outside voting centre

The by-election to the Chattogram-8 parliamentary constituency has been marred by reports of a crude bomb blast outside a voting centre amid allegations from BNP candidate Abu Sufiyan that voters were being barred entry into some polling stations.

Lamenting the lack of a 'proper election atmosphere, Sufiyan said, "Outsiders have stationed themselves around polling centres and are preventing voters from entering polling booths. My agents are being evicted from voting centres."

Voting in the by-polls began at 170 centres across the port city and the Boalkhali Upazila at 9:00 am on Monday. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being used in the election. The voter turnout was relatively low in the morning amid the biting cold and heavy fog.

An explosion was heard outside the voting centre in the Ekhlasur Rahman Government Primary School at Bahaddarhat, shortly after the polls opened, bdnews24.com reported.

"Paddy sheaf agents are being pushed out of polling centres. There's no proper atmosphere for voting," said Sufiyan after casting his ballot at the voting station in Chandgaon residential area.

But Awami League candidate Moslem Uddin Ahmed brushed aside his rival's allegations and said, "Voters are casting ballots in a nice and peaceful environment. It's the BNP's job to make allegations. There hasn't been any violence anywhere until now."

Addressing the allegations levelled by the BNP candidate, Chattogram Police's Assistant Commissioner (Panchlaish Zone) Debdut Majumdar said, "Abu Sufiyan went to a voting centre with a large number of supporters and activists. It sparked a commotion there and the police later escorted him out of the station."