The BNP has alleged polling agents of its Gazipur mayoral candidate Hasan Sarker were driven out from over 100 centres but its rival Awami League claims that the party had not nominated agents in several centres.
Bangla Tribune correspondents failed to spot any BNP polling agents at the Naoagaon Govt Primary School centre just after the voting began with long queues of voters. Presiding Officer Badiul Alam confirmed that no BNP agents reported but there were agents for the Awami League candidate.
No BNP agents were found during a second visit at the centre hours later in the noon.
BNP mayor aspirant Hasan Sarker casted his vote at the Basir Uddin Udayan Academy in Tongi at 8:30am with his agents present in polling station.
Bangla Tribune correspondents visited at least 12 other centres after the polls opened, but found no BNP agents until 2pm.
No polling agents for Hasan Sarker were spotted at the Konabari Greatmat Primary School at 10am. “I can’t say why there are no polling agents for the BNP. The candidate can say better,” Presiding Officer Dabirul Islam said.
Bangla Tribune correspondents found no BNP candidate representatives at the Konabari Ideal High School centre. “No polling agents for the BNP reported. However, agents for other candidates are here,” Presiding Officer Mahmudul Amin told Bangla Tribune.
Shamsuddin Ahmed, the presiding officer of the centre at Parijat Konabari Primary School, said that he found no BNP agents when he came to the centre prior to the polls early morning.
The presiding officer of Mohammadia Islami Qawmi Madrasa, Rahatul Islam said there were BNP agents in three out of the four booths until 12pm, when they left.
With around 1.14 million voters, polls for the Gazipur City Corporation opened at 8am and ended on 4pm at 425 voting centres.
BNP’s mayoral candidate Hasan Sarker claimed that they finalised agents for all the polling stations as well as provided training to them.
“But our agents have been driven out from several centres soon after the voting started. Police have detained nearly 400 agents from polling stations in the morning, before releasing most of them in the evening,” he told Bangla Tribune.
Police rebuffed the allegation. “Not a single BNP polling agent was detained and no one filed any complaint,” Additional Superintendent of Police Shiekh Rassel told Bangla Tribune.
“No incident of polling agents being driven out was reported. And if that was the case, reports of clashes would have come,” he added.
The Awami League claims that BNP agents did not report to their designated polling stations.
“Their agents did not report to the voting centres and I have evidence to back it. But I won’t come up with them now as it would violate the code of conduct. But I can provide them after the counting ends,” said Jahangir Alam, the Awami League’s candidate.
According to local political insiders, BNP’s Hasan Sarker did not appear to be keen over the issue of polling agents. Those, who were nominated, did not even do their job properly.
Returning Officer Rakib Uddin Mondol said that he responded immediately after BNP’s Hasan Sarker complained that polling agents were being driven out.
“I ordered officials to take steps, but they did not found the allegations to be true,” he told Bangla Tribune.

[Bangla Tribune correspondents Chowdhury Akbor Hossain, Aditto Rimon, Sheikh Jahangir Alam and Gazipur Correspondent Raihanul Islam Akanda provided inputs for this story]