Staff Reporter
Rtnn: Comilla City Corporation (COCC) by-polls began at 8am on Saturday with low voter turnout and alleged irregularities. 

Supporters of MP Bahar's daughter Tahsin Bahar Suchona’s supporters were seen allegedly stationed at various polling centres and other locations around the city. 

Meanwhile, Victoria College unit Bangladesh Chhatra League activists, who are also followers of MP Bahar, were seen in the city's Kaptan Bazar and Islamia Adarsha High School centres. 

"My voters and agents are not being allowed to enter wards 5, 6 and 7,” said expelled BNP leader Monirul Haque Sakku, who is contesting the by-polls under the Table Clock symbol.

Horse symbol candidate Nizam Uddin Kaiser said: "My voters and agents are being kicked out of wards 3, 5 and 7 by the Bus symbol activists.”

Noor ur Rahman Mahmud Tanim, a candidate with the Elephant symbol, said that the results of the Victoria Collegiate School centre were signed as soon as the voting began.

In this regard, Returning Officer Farhad Hossain said: "We have taken action after receiving a complaint from a centre. Measures are being taken to prevent congestion at the intersection.”

 
According to the Comilla Returning Officer's office, the vote is underway in 105 centres across 27 wards. 

There are 640 polling booths. There are 105 presiding officers, 640 assistant presiding officers, and 1,280 polling agents. Some 27 magistrates are involved. 

For the security of 105 centres, 450 members of BGB are deployed in 12 platoons. 

RAB has 27 teams with 939 members, the police have 27 mobile teams with 1,339 members, and there will be nine striking forces in the field. 

On December 13, Comilla City Corporation mayor Arfanul Haque Rifat passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore. 

Later, on January 22, the Election Commission fixed March 9 for the by-polls. The government announced a public holiday on that day in the city.

The voting will be held through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). 

The first election of this city corporation was held on January 5, 2012, and the second election of the city was held on March 30, 2017.

In 2012, Sakku contested as an independent candidate and defeated veteran Awami League leader Afzal Khan by over 35,000 votes in the first election to the city corporation. In 2017, he won against Afzal Khan’s daughter Anjum Sultana Sima by a margin of around 11,000 votes.

On June 15, 2022, the third election took place where late Rifat defeated Sakku in a tight battle -- by a margin of 343 votes.