Counting underway after voting ends peacefully in Narayanganj city polls

However, many voters were seen standing in queues for casting their votes after 4pm in some voting centres. Concerned officials said they would be allowed to vote.

Some voters tried to enter the polling centres after 4pm. They were reportedly barred by police.

Presiding officers at different polling centres said 50-55% votes were cast.

Many voters faced difficulties while using the electronic voting machines in few polling centres.

Besides, people were seen violating health guidelines in the polling centres posing risk of rise in Covid-19 infections. 

If Awami League's candidate Selina Hayat Ivy, the first female mayor in the country, wins the election, she will be the first to become mayor for the third time in a row.

On the other hand, the victory of Taimur Alam Khandaker might create more space for the opposition parties to raise questions about the "acceptance" of the ruling Awami League, which has been in power since 2009.

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4:00pm

Voting ends. Some voters were seen standing in queues for casting their votes after 4pm in some voting centres. 

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2:55pm

The presence of female voters has been greater than male voters in many of the centres. The number of young voters - many of whom are voting for the first time, also increased in the noon.

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1:30pm

Many voters are facing difficulties in casting votes using electronic voting machines (EVM) in the ongoing Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls.

At least four-five voters on average could not cast votes due to their fingerprints not matching with the Election Commission's (EC) data base in each of the eight booths in Ramnagar Government Primary School under Ward No. 26.

EC officials have asked the concerned voters to again come in the afternoon to exercise their right to franchise.

On the other hand, hundreds of female voters were seen queuing outside several voting centres expressing dissatisfaction over the "difficulties" of using EVMs.

During The Business Standard's visit to some polling centers in Chashara, Bandar and Siddhirganj areas of the city, it was found that female voters needed some 10-30 minutes to vote starting from the waiting line to pressing the buttons of the machine.

Shanti Chowdhury, a voter of Ward No. 12 of NCC said, "I voted for the councillor post at first, but when I pressed the button for selecting the mayoral candidate there was no green signal from the EVM.

"However, the polling officer told me that my vote was accepted".

"I found the use of EVM full of hassle, especially for females, as this is our first using the machine to vote," she added.

The same was seen at the voting centre in Fazlur Rahman High School where voters were taking too long to cast their votes as female and elderly voters were finding it very difficult to properly operate the EVMs.

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12:05pm

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mustain Billah said 30 percent voters have cast votes till 12pm today so far.

All law enforcement agencies are working relentlessly to hold the election peacefully, he added.

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11:50am

Zarina Begum, couldn't remember her actual age but she smiled after casting her vote. Zarina a resident of Maura Potti area casted her vote and raise her inked thumb.

"I have no one at my home, no child no relative but I have come to cast my vote and it is done", she said.

"When asked how the experience was with EVM she said machines are always difficult for us especially at 80/90 years old. But they have instructed me and I have done my job," she added.

Bholanath Podder son of Zui Bala Podder, 93, was carrying her mother after casting her vote.

Talking to TBS Volanath said it was their duty to elect a mayor or councilor for the development of the city.

"So, age cannot stop up from coming to the polling center. My mother casted her vote, and it's your duty to cast yours," he said.

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11:15am

Hundreds of women voters were seen queuing outside the voting centres in Narayanganj City citing Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) as the main cause. 

Visiting some polling centers in Chashara, Bandar and Siddhirganj areas it was found that women voters needed 10-30 minutes to cast their vote starting from the waiting line to pressing buttons of the EVM machine. 

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10:40am

Executive Magistrate of District Administration (AC land, Siddhirganj) Kohinoor Akhter, told TBS, "Wards 1 to 3 are under my jurisdiction. A total of 29 centres are under these wards. No incidents of arrests have taken place in any of the centres I visited. There were crowds of people in front of some of the centers that had been dispersed.

She is now running a mobile court at Mizmizi Paschim Para High School, reported our correspondent.

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10:15am

75-year-old Haji Sultan Giasuddin, who came to the polling centre riding on the back of an activist, said, "The environment at the vote centre is very congenial. I could cast my vote successfully for my candidate."

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10:00am

Mrinal Chandra Das, a poling agent at booth 4, centre 14 of ward 2, told TBS that it was taking a little longer for women to cast their votes in the EVM. 

People in the area are not very experienced about this machine. So, they often make mistakes, he added.

One person has to always be standing near the booth where women are casting their votes in.

Till 10:30am, 39 people have voted in this booth, informed Mrinal Chandra.

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9.25am

"The voting is being conducted peacefully at the Anandalok High School centre in Ward 2 since morning," Presiding Officer HMA Malek told The Business Standard adding that some 29 voters out of 399 were able to cast their votes at the centre's no 6 booth till 9.25am.

When asked about the absence of polling agents representing candidates other than the ruling party, he said, "We issued cards to the agents of all parties who applied but ensuring their presence at the centre is not my responsibility."

Voter Badal Mia told TBS, "There was a fear of violence in the back of my mind but it all dissolved after coming to the centre. Everyone here has been voting in a fair environment."

"No untoward incident has taken place in this centre. Voters are coming in a festive mood and exercising their voting rights peacefully," said SI Sirajul Islam, law enforcement official in charge of the centre.

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8.15am

Independent mayoral candidate Taimur Alam Khandaker went to Islamia Dakhil Madrasa polling centre near Jamtala Central Eidgah at 8.15am to cast his vote.

He said, "We will win the election with over a lakh votes. The situation seems peaceful till now, we can tell fully after the counting of votes."

Taimur said the people are supporting him this year as they no longer want to bear the burden of excessive taxes.

"I did not withdraw from the election on my own in the 2011 and 2016 elections. I boycotted the election as my party – BNP – boycotted it. This time I am the people's candidate," Taimur Alam Khandaker added.

The independent candidate was able to cast his vote at around 8.45am.

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The constituency has a total of 517,362 registered voters – 259,846 men, 257,511 women and four people from third gender communities who will exercise their voting rights at 1333 polling booths in 192 centres.

The election will decide the post of mayor, nine reserved women councillors and 27 ward councillors.

The polls will be held through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). So, 2,912 EVM machines have been sent to Narayanganj, on the outskirts of the capital.   Each centre will have one and a half times more EVM than required. 

The electioneering ended at midnight yesterday. 

Adequate security measures have been taken to ensure law and order in the city during the election. Besides, the election commission has instructed outsiders to leave the city areas.

Fourteen judicial magistrates have been appointed to conduct elections peacefully. Under the Penal Code, they will be able to carry out brief trials with filing cases.

More than 5,000 members of the law enforcement agencies will be deployed to ensure security while each centre will have 28 security personnel.

A total of 26 police units will be on duty as a striking force during the elections. 

One sub-inspector (SI) will lead the five policemen's team in each centre. In addition, eight male and four female Ansar members will also be deployed to ensure security. 

Apart from this, there will be 64 mobile teams of the police as each team will have five members. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will deploy its 24  platoon troops. 

The returning officer said that Narayanganj deputy commissioner has sent a demand note for six more platoons.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has allowed 42 observers from 9 organizations to monitor the election. 

The organizations are: National Election Observation Council (JANIPP), SAARC Human Rights Foundation, Legal Aid Center, Foundation, Social Development Efforts, Trinamool Development Organization, Taltala Youth  Development Organization, Rehaf Foundation, BB Asia Foundation and Human  Rights and Social Development Organization-MOSUS. 

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mustain Billah has urged all to participate in the polls by maintaining proper health guidelines.

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The previous two polls

The NCC, the seventh-largest city corporation in the country, was formed by merging old Narayanganj and Kadamrasul municipalities in 2011.

Selina Hayat Ivy, then AL rebel candidate, won that election, getting 65% of the total 180,048 votes.

Her rival, Awami League candidate Shameem Osman, got 78,705 votes, 28% of the total votes. BNP withdrew candidature for a strategic reason in the 2011 election, which went in favour of the 'rebel' candidate Ivy.

In the second election held in 2016, Ivy contested as the Awami League candidate and won the election with 174,602 votes. Her main rival lawyer Sakhawat Hossain got 96,700 votes.

After the 2014 elections all over the country saw a crisis, particularly in voter turnout, but Narayanganj remained a unique exception.