Ruling Awami League has allegedly thrown out opposition observers in all the voting centres of Ward 22 in Khulna city, trying to establish dominion at the centres.

There are four voting centres in Ward 22: Koilaghat Government Primary School, Khulna Zila School, Pioneer Girls’ School, and Pioneer Women’s College.

As our local correspondent reports after visiting the centres this morning during the Khulna City Corporation election, there were no polling agents of the opposition BNP in any of the centres.

As he saw from the spot, ruling Awami League supporters and activists were parading the streets around these centres, allegedly barring any opposition agents to enter.

Nazrul Islam, the mayor candidate from BNP, told The Daily Star: “They have thrown out our agents. I went to Khulna Zila School and took an agent there. Later, when I went away, they (AL supporters) threw him out”.

Md Atiar Rahman, presiding officer of Khulna Zila School, told The Daily Star that there was no BNP agent in his polling centre. However, he said voting was underway without disruption.