AL candidate wins polling centre where EVMs allegedly displayed ‘Boat’ symbol only
Awami League Candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat won the election at Neura Mi High School polling station where some voters alleged that the EVMs (electronic voting machines) displayed 'Boat' symbol only.
Voting at Cumilla City Corporation elections were halted due to heavy rain but resumed at 11am Wednesday.
A voter of Ward-19 claimed that the EVMs in the Neura Mi High School polling station were showing only the 'Boat' symbol.
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The total number of voters at the Neura Mi High School centre was 1,853. Of these, 1239 exercised their voting rights.
According to the results, Awami League candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat got 443 votes. Candidate for the 'Horse' symbol Nizam Uddin Kaiser got 410 votes and Monirul Haque Sakku of 'Watch' symbol got 340 votes.
Earlier, Judicial Magistrate Omar Farooq visited the Neura Mi High School centre to look into the matter. He claimed that the concerned presiding officer Nazmul Amin refused to let him enter the booth.
"I have come here to verify the voters' allegation," he told reporters as he left the centre.
"When I entered the polling station and tried to examine the EVM, the presiding officer stopped me. I was told to leave immediately," added the magistrate.
"I will take action against him," he added.
Commenting on the magistrate's statement, Presiding Officer Nazmul Amin said it was a complete misunderstanding.
"When the magistrate went into the secret room to verify, I stopped him from pressing the EVM button. Because to my knowledge, no one except a voter can enter the room," explained Nazmul.
He said that people with technical knowledge were at the centre to solve the problem, adding, "I thought I'd check it out later. In the meantime, there was a misunderstanding."
Awami League nominated candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat won by a margin of only 343 votes in the Cumilla City Corporation elections. He secured 50,310 votes. His nearest rival Monirul Haque Sakku got 49,058 votes and Nizam Uddin Kaiser got 29,099 votes.
