The number of voters at different polling stations in Khulna City Corporation is increasing by time.
The crowd was less when the vote casting started in the morning
During spot visits at different poll centres in the city it was seen that female voters are comparably more in numbers than their male counterparts.
The polling station at the city’s Talimul Millat Maddrassa under ward number 18 is a two-storied building where female voters are casting their votes at ground floor and male voters at the first floor.
A long queue of voters was seen in front of the centre at 9:30am. Law enforcing personnel were seen active outside the centre, checking the vote slips before entering the centre, and showing the particular polling booths to the voters.
As many as 148 candidates are contesting for councilor posts in 31 wards of the city corporation while another 35 have vied for 10 reserved women councilor.
The number of voters in the city corporation stands at 493,093, who are expected to cast their franchises at 1,561 booths in 289 polling stations.
A number of 4,972 presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and polling officers are administering the polls while 219 election observers, with five foreign, 35 Eelection Commission, and 17 NGO representatives, are scrutinising the polls.
Heightened security
A huge number of security personnel from police, BGB, RAB, Ansar-VDP are parading the city streets, maintaining law and order situation.
Out of the 289 polling stations, additional security measures have been taken in 234 after the administration identified the centres risky.
At least 22 security personnel will be deployed at each centre.
Executive magistrates have been performing their duties since the polling schedule was declared. The EC has deployed 49 executive magistrates and 10 judicial magistrates on the day of vote.
A 35-strong team of election commission officials led by its joint secretary is monitoring the overall situation during vote casting, scheduled to end at 4:00pm.