BNP candidate Monirul Haque Sakku won the Comilla City Corporation mayoral polls yesterday despite alleged ballot-stuffing in at least a dozen polling centres by supporters of his main challenger from the Awami League.

Monirul bagged 68,948 votes while his rival Anjum Sultana Sima got 57,863 votes in the polls that turned into a "battle of prestige" between the two archrivals -- the AL and the BNP.

Announcing the results at the city's Town Hall Auditorium, Returning Officer Rakibuddin Mondol said 1,32,690 ballots were cast in 101 of the 103 voting centres, and 4,830 of those were cancelled. And voter turnout was 63.92 percent.

Polling at two centres was suspended as the situation went beyond control there.

The city corporation election was considered by political observers as the acid test for the new Election Commission.

Five years ago, Monirul won the maiden CCC mayoral polls by defeating Anjum's father Afzal Khan who was backed by the AL. Monirul has again emerged victorious and secured the mayoral post for another five years. 

Talking to this correspondent over the  phone around 10:30pm yesterday, Anjum said people cast ballots for the candidate they considered competent. “I accept the people's verdict.”

Earlier in the day, ruling AL men allegedly captured at least a dozen polling stations and stuffed ballot boxes to ensure win for their mayoral candidate. 

The polling, however, was largely peaceful.  

Visiting 15 of the 103 polling stations, The Daily Star correspondents saw the AL candidate's supporters stuff ballots boxes and stage showdown inside and at the entrance to some of the centres.

In five of the polling stations, the ruling party men closed the entrance and stuffed ballot boxes. But the police personnel there took no action.

The night before the election day, members of the police, Rab, BGB and Ansar were seen patrolling the city areas frequently.

But within a couple of hours since the voting began at 8:00am, the apparent calm and quiet atmosphere turned chaotic in some polling centres as ruling party men moved to capture those.

For example, a large number of male and female voters were seen standing in queues at Comilla Government City College centre to cast ballots even before the polling started.

But the atmosphere changed following the blasts of two cocktails -- one inside and the other outside the centre -- around 10:30am. Voters who were standing in queues ran for cover.

Within minutes, several groups of youths wearing badges with “boat” symbol entered the polling booths at the centre.

This correspondent saw many of them snatch ballot papers from polling officials and stuff ballots boxes with those.

Asked why the law enforcers were not taking any action, police inspector Md Shahid, who was on duty in front of a polling booth there, advised this correspondent to talk to the presiding officer.

But by that time, the presiding officer along with other election officials had taken shelter in a room and locked its door.

Youths wearing badges with “boat” symbol beat up Md Farhad, an agent of a BNP-backed councillor candidate, as he protested ballot-stuffing.

One of the youths identified himself as Ripon and also a Jubo League member. He requested this correspondent several times not to “disturb” him.

Since voting began at the centre, Ripon and his 15 to 20 aides were seen loitering around the polling booths at the centre. They talked to inspector Shahid several times before and after the capture of the polling station by the youths.

When several mobile courts and strike forces comprising Rab and BGB personnel reached there around 11:30am, the youths came out of the polling booths, but didn't leave the centre. 

Around 12:00noon, the EC suspended voting at the polling centre.

The situation at Gobindapur Government Primary School centre, close to AL candidate Anjum's house, was worse than that at the City College centre.

Ballot-stuffing by ruling party men went on there till the end of voting at 4:00pm.

Zahirul Haq, a polling officer at booth no-2, said he had informed the presiding officer about the situation as he couldn't do anything.

Another polling officer, Kazi Selim, alleged that police did nothing to tackle the situation.

The presiding officer at the centre said he was busy keeping things under control.

Asked, some of Monirul's polling agents there said they didn't protest the ballot-stuffing for fear of reprisal from the ruling party men.

Around 1:30pm, several youths wearing badges with “boat” symbol asked this correspondent to leave the centre, saying polling was going on peacefully and there was nothing to report about.

One of them advised this correspondent to visit Ishak Government Primary School centre, alleging that BNP men had captured it and were stuffing ballot boxes there.

When this correspondent reached that centre at about 2:00pm, he found that police closed the entrance and were not allowing any voter to enter.

Later, police let this correspondent enter the centre after he gave them his identity.

This correspondent saw several groups of youths wearing badges inscribed with Anjum's photos take ballot papers from polling officers and stuff ballot boxes with those in at least 11 voting booths.

When this correspondent took photographs of ballot-stuffing by the youths at a booth with his mobile phone around 2:30pm, they forced him to leave the place.

Asked, Presiding Officer Sekhar Goswami said he called the returning officer and officials of law enforcement agencies, and informed them about the situation. But they didn't take any step.

Talking to this correspondent around 2:45pm, an executive magistrate, who was sitting in a car outside the centre, said he was not aware of any irregularities in polling at the centre. He refused to give his name.

Ruling party men allegedly stuffed ballot boxes also in other polling centres, including Comilla Modern School, Farida Biddalay, Gondhomoti Government Primary school, Saktola Government Primary School, Doiara Government Primary School, Bidyut Unyayan Board High School, Hazi Akramuddin High School, Neura High School and Munshi M Ali Girls High School. 

[Our Comilla Correspondent contributed to this report]