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Polls held 'free and fair' Our Correspondent Casting ended amid tight security and a less than festive mood in Khulna city corporation area Monday, though candidates alongside citizens casting votes in 239 centres expressed satisfaction over the election amid the state of emergency. "The environment is very good," 14-party backed mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque told bdnews24.com.
"Except for one or two incidents, everything was all right. The poll was a free, fair and credible one," Khaleque said, while visiting the polling centre at the Primary Training Institute.
He added that whoever wins, he would cooperate with the next mayor, "since a fair election was held."
The BNP candidate, Moniruzzaman Moni also said he was satisfied with the holding of the polls. "Everything was fine."
On reported electoral violations, he said people were not aware of the electoral codes of conduct that led to some incidents of violations.
Seventy year-old voter, Atique Alam told bdnews24.com: "Security is much better this time. We did not have any problem."
Nevertheless, confusions had arisen during early voting over national identity cards and voter serial numbers. Many voters had shown up only with national identity card, expecting to cast votes straightaway.
"But they did not bring a serial number, without which it was taking longer to complete the voting process," election officer Rashid Ali at the city's Islamia Madrasha polling centre told bdnews24.com.
Meanwhile, Firoz Ahmed, former Communist Party of Bangladesh head in Khulna, complained about the influence of black money.
"I heard complaints that people have been forced to take money," he told reporters after casting his vote at Abdul Gani Primary School polling centre at Musalman Para.
Awami League's Khulna executive committee member, Enayet Ali told bdnews24.com that rigging had occurred in polling centres at Banik Para.
"Black money has been running around the city from last night."
Asked whether he would cooperate with the next mayor, the AL leader said: "I will not cooperate if he used black money to win."
With the exception of some minor complaints of electoral code violations, polls were held peacefully across the KCC area, according to officials.
Deputy election commissioner of Khulna, Md M0hsin Ali told bdnews24.com that voting went smoothly at most centres.
"The security was adequate so nothing unexpected happened."
Despite using an electoral roll some reports of 'stolen' votes came from Shahid Zia College polling centre at Mohesslon Pasha and Khulna Collegiate Girls School and College at the city's Jhut Para.
Khairul Alam, a 2nd-year student of BL College, was standing helplessly outside the polling centre at the Collegiate Girls School.
"Someone has already cast my vote. I complained to the presiding office but it did no good," he told bdnews24.com.
Polling officer Mujibur Rahman and polling agents at the booth admitted that the vote was cast by someone else.
But the presiding officer, Monirul Islam, said: "There is no chance of vote theft."
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