Thakurgaon-1 by-poll: Jamaat candidate complains over lack of photo ID for presiding officers
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Delwar Hossain has complained about the lack of photo identification for presiding officers at polling stations in Thakurgaon-1 constituency.
He made the complaint at 8:30am on Thursday after casting his ballot at Adarsha School in Ward No. 5 of the Thakurgaon Municipality.
Delwar told reporters, “The card worn around the neck of the presiding officer here did not have a photo. As far as I have heard here, the cards worn around the neck of the assistant presiding officers also do not have a photo.
“If the person who is currently serving as the presiding officer here does not have a photo, how can we know that he is the right person? Somebody else can send a proxy. This is very worrying.”
Regarding the election environment, he said: "The voting has just begun. There is no way to talk about the environment right now. We will see what the true situation is when things are a little clearer."
He, however, alleges that he has received some complaints, saying: "There have been complaints in one or two centres that our polling agents have been thrown out. I am taking note of this. I was given this message when I entered. I will find where this incident took place once I leave."
Delwar, who is running for the seat for a second time in eight months, said that he is 100 percent confident about winning if the election is fair.
At the same time, he said that he will accept any result of the election if the vote is fair, and impartial.
“If the people get the opportunity to vote freely, then we have to accept the result. It is a democratic process," he said.
Voting began at 8am on Thursday at 185 polling stations in the constituency and will continue until 4pm, according to schedule.
Returning Officer and Thakurgaon District Election Officer Kamrul Islam said in the morning, “Voting is going on peacefully in 185 centres in this constituency. No complaints have been received anywhere.”
They will choose their new parliamentary representative from among five candidates.
They are President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's younger brother Mirza Faisal Amin, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's Delwar, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan's Md Abdul Alim Nizami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh's Hafez Md Khademul Islam and Bangladesh Congress's Hussain Muhammad Omar Farooq.
