'Tarabo polls hijacked'

"Voters could not turn up at the polling stations due to threat by armed criminals. They even drove out my polling agents from almost all the centres," Mahbubur Rahman Khan told journalists at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club yesterday afternoon.

Mahbub, a pro-Awami League candidate with the election symbol of "umbrella", alleged that there were no BDR troops or any magistrate at the polling stations till 11am, allowing the armed cadres to prevent people from casting their votes.

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Awami League leader Maj Gen (retd) Shafiullah, Colonel (retd) Faruk Khan, MP, and Tanjim Ahmed Sohel, MP, who visited a number of election centres in the pourasava, were also present at the press conference.

They also alleged that they were threatened by armed criminals during the visit.

"This cannot be an election...it's a mockery of election. Many polling agents were assaulted by the cadres let loose by Textiles Minister Abdul Matin Chowdhury," said Gen (retd) Shafiullah.