Voting underway in Rajshahi, Sylhet city polls

Voting in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) and Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) elections began amid much enthusiasm this morning.

The voting started at 8 am and it will continue till 4 pm without any break.

Voters are seen standing in long queues at polling centres to cast their votes using electronic voting machines (EVM) in a peaceful manner.

For the first time in RCC’s 36-year history, elections are being held in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in all the 155 centres. There are also Closed-circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) in each of the centres.

AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, one the three mayor candidates, along with his family members cast his vote at Upashahar Town Satellite High School centre at 9am.

He also talked to journalists there expecting above 60 percent vote cast in the election.

Returning Officer Delwar Hossain told BSS that a total of 161 candidates remained in the election race. Of them, three for mayor, 112 for general councilors in 30 wards and 46 for 10 reserved seats for women councilors.

The mayoral candidates are: Bangladesh Awami League nominated and former mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton (Boat), Jatiya Party candidate Saiful Islam Swapan (Plough) and Jaker Party Latif Anwar (Rose).

A total of 155 presiding officers, 1,153 assistance presiding officers and 3,459 polling officers are conducting the election.

There are 3,51,982 voters, including 1,80,809 females, to exercise their right of franchise in EVM in 1,153 rooms of 155 polling centres in 30 wards from 8am to 4pm without any break.

Iqbal Hossain, Presiding Officer at Mirzapur Government Primary School Centre, said there are 2,591 voters in the centre. Polling began at 8am and the voters are exercising their rights of franchise peacefully.

He said the turnout of female voters is more than the male ones since this morning.

Nur Jahan Begum, one of the voters at the centre, expressed her happiness after casting vote in EVM for the first time in her 65-year life.

Meanwhile, five-tier security measures have been taken for making today’s RCC polls free, fair, participatory, peaceful and acceptable to all as around 6,000 law enforcers will work to maintain law and order.
Security officials said around 3,514 members of police, 400 personnel of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), 200 of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 1,860 of Ansar are discharging election duties.

Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Anisur Rahman visited some of the polling centres this morning expressing his satisfaction after witnessing a peaceful election. (BSS)