Naogaon presiding officer withdrawn, another accused of signing result sheet before vote counting
Election rules require votes to be counted in the presence of polling agents after voting ends, and only then should the result sheet be completed and signed.
A presiding officer in Naogaon's Sadar upazila was withdrawn for signing a result sheet before vote counting, while another in Niamatpur faced similar allegations in separate incidents today (12 February).
The first incident took place around 12pm at the Katkhoir High School polling centre in Sadar upazila.
The accused, Nazim Uddin, serves as a sub-assistant engineer at the Naogaon Roads and Highways Department.
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According to eyewitnesses, he signed and affixed his official seal on the designated result sheet while voting was still underway.
Election rules require votes to be counted in the presence of polling agents after voting ends, and only then should the result sheet be completed and signed.
When contacted, Nazim admitted to signing the document in advance, saying preparing results after voting can be time-consuming. "To make the process easier and save time, I signed it earlier. However, I was not aware whether this was in line with the rules," he said.
Naogaon Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Ibnul Abedin said there is no provision in election rules for signing the result sheet before vote counting.
"As the allegation was found to be true, he has been withdrawn from election duty at the centre," he said, adding that a new presiding officer is being appointed.
In a separate incident in Niamatpur upazila, another presiding officer was accused of signing and sealing a result sheet before vote counting.
The incident occurred around 2:30pm at Bamoin High School and College polling centre.
The accused, Abdul Kader, is a senior officer (cash) at Sonali Bank PLC's Niamatpur branch.
Eyewitnesses alleged that he signed and sealed the designated result sheet during voting hours.
When asked about the allegation, Abdul Kader admitted the incident, saying that preparing the results after voting takes time and sometimes there is a time constraint. "For convenience and to save time, I signed it in advance. However, it was not done in accordance with the rules; I have violated the law," he said.
When contacted, UNO and Assistant Returning Officer Mosammat Murshida Khatun said she has no authority to take action in this regard.
She said the officer concerned would be able to explain the matter better and advised speaking to him.
Asked whether she could take action as assistant returning officer, Murshida said an Electoral Inquiry Committee exists and complaints can be filed with it. "As assistant returning officer, I do not have the jurisdiction to look into this matter," she added.
