Staff Reporter
Rtnn: Voting for the Cumilla City Corporation by-polls started at 8am with lower voter turnout and allegations of irregularities. 

Although fewer voters were seen queued up to practice their franchise at the centres, supporters of MP Bahar's daughter Tahsin Bahar Suchona's bus symbol were stationed at various corners of the city. 

Victoria College Chhatra League activists were spotted at Captain Bazar and Islamia Adarsha High School centres. They are supporters of MP Bahar. 

Similar scenes were observed at Bagichagaon Government Primary School, Bhooter Goli, Ashoktala, and Cumilla High School centres.

A visit to Riyaz Uddin Government Primary School centre of the city at 8am in the morning showed 30 police and Ansar members guarding the centre. A scuffle broke out in front of the centre just before the start of the polling, requiring additional police presence. 

Five voters arrived at the centre by 8am. Shortly after, a group of youths wearing badges of the bus symbol entered the centre, claiming to be voters. 

Local Chhatra League activists were seen blocking various points near Chowdhurypara. 

There's no voting environment here!" a law enforcement member was heard saying.

Other candidates allege irregularities

In wards 5, 6, and 7, my voters and agents are not being allowed to enter, Monirul Haque Sakku, the candidate for the table clock symbol, said.

Nizam Uddin Kaiser, the horse symbol candidate, said, In wards 3, 5, and 7, people of the bus symbol are forcing all my voters and agents out.

Elephant symbol's candidate Noor-Ur Rahman Mahmud Tanim said, "At the Victoria Collegiate centre, signatures were taken on the result sheet right after the voting started."

Returning Officer Forhad Hossen said, "We received complaints from one centre and took necessary action. We are also taking steps to prevent gatherings at various points of the city."

Cumilla City Corporation includes 27 wards and 105 centres in two upazilas - Adarsha Sadar and Sadar Dakshin. 

Four candidates are competing in this by-polls: former mayor Monirul Haque Sakku with the table clock symbol, former president of Cumilla City BNP's volunteer wing Nizam Uddin Kaiser with the horse symbol, organisational secretary of Cumilla city Awami League (AL) Tahsin Bahar with the bus symbol, and advisor to Cumilla city AL Noor-Ur Rahman Mahmud Tanim with the elephant symbol.

According to the District Returning Officer's office, there are 242,458 voters in Cumilla City Corporation. 118,282 of them are men, 124,278 are women. and two are hijra voters. 

The election is currently being conducted in 640 polling booths, with 105 presiding officers, 640 assistant presiding officers, and 1,280 polling agents. 

Nine judicial magistrates, one per three wards, and 27 executive magistrates are overseeing the electoral code of conduct.

For security, 450 members of the BGB, 939 members of RAB, 1,339 police members, and nine striking forces are deployed in 105 centres. 

Each centre is under the constant surveillance of five police members, with two teams from two police stations serving as reserve forces.

In the previous 2022 Cumilla City Corporation by-polls, Arfanul Haque Rifat was elected mayor with the boat symbol. 

He passed away on 13 December, 2023.