Clash suspends voting at Kabi Nazrul College

Voting at Kabi Nazrul College centre in old Dhaka remains suspended following a clash between the supporters of two councillor aspirants this morning.

The Swedish ambassador, Johan Frisell, along with many of the embassy staff was trapped inside the college for 45 minutes during the clash. He went to visit the site at 11:00am, reports our diplomatic correspondent. 

The activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of Awami League, allegedly occupied the polling centre and were stuffing votes in of favour the AL-backed candidates.

The clash ensued around 11:40am when the independent candidates of ward No. 42, who protested the vote rigging, came under the attack of the BCL men, our correspondent reports from the spot.

Police lobbed two tear gas shells to disperse the agitated activists.

Presiding officer Abul Kalam Azad however told the correspondent that the voting was continuing though our reporters found no voters inside the centre.

Meanwhile, voting at two centres in Suritola area in the capital remains suspended an hour after the city corporation polls began in the morning.

Sowkat Ali, a presiding officer, of the polling centre, told our reporters that returning officer asked him to suspend voting at the Suritola Government High School where the three centres have been set up.

After around two hours, voting resumed at one of the three centres.

The presiding officer however could not mention any reason behind the decision.

Talking to our correspondent, many voters alleged that they could not cast their votes as they did not find any ballot box at the centres.

Rokeya, a voter, said she could not find any ballot box in the booth around 8:30am.

Another voter Aslam alleged, "I could not cast my vote. I am not involved with politics. Why can’t I cast my vote? Another person has already cast my vote."