Voting underway at suspended centre in Mymensingh-3 constituency

Balloting is underway at the Bhalukapur High School polling centre in Mymensingh-3, where voting was suspended over irregularities during the national election, amid tight security.

Polls opened at 8:00 am on Saturday and voting will continue until 4:00 pm, reports bdnews24.com.

"Voters are casting their ballots in seven booths. Five layers of security have been implemented at the centre and its surrounding areas," said Deputy Commissioner and Returning Office Didare Alam Mohammad Maksud Chowdhury.

Voting was suspended on Jan 7 when a group of people reportedly entered the premises and stole a ballot box from a booth around 2 pm. More people came in and vandalised the polling centre when voting was about to end at 4 pm. They left with five ballot boxes, according to election officials.

The race for the parliamentary seat is delicately poised, with the Awami League's Nilufar Anjum holding 53,196 votes, while her nearest rival, independent candidate Somnath Saha, has 52,211.

As many as 3,032 voters are registered with the Bhalukapur High School centre, which means the results from the centre will decide the outcome of the election.

Nilufar, who is leading in the polls, is the wife of late Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, a former special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.