Voting at 161 polling centres in 22 constituencies across the country has been postponed due to snatching and torching of ballot papers and boxes.
Sources at the Election Commission (EC) said the ballots were either snatched by miscreants or burnt in fire set by them.
The EC is yet to release an official statement in this regard.
A total of 390 candidates have been contesting in 147 constituencies in 59 districts.
There are 18,208 polling centres.
The suspension came on the back of the torching of nearly 150 polling centres at different parts across the country in the last two days.
The situation aggravated when opposition activists beat dead an assistant presiding officer in Thakurgaon last night.
Police and locals said the attacks had been carried out to foil today’s 10th parliamentary polls to be held in 59 out of 64 districts amid non-stop blockade and 48-hour hartal by the opposition alliance.
The polling centres where voting has been postponed are:
Constituency Number of Centres
Rangpur-4 41
Gaibandha-3 21
Gaibandha-4 20
Dinajpur-4 14
Bogra-7 9
Nilphamari-1 5
Nilphamari-3 4
Comilla-9 4
Rangpur-3 3
Thakurgaon-1 3
Laxmipur-1 3
Chittagong-15 2
Gaibandha-1 2
Jamalpur-4 2
Habiganj-2 2
Dinajpur-5 1
Nilphamari-3 1
Lalmonirhat-1 5
Sherpur-3 1
Feni-3 1
Jhenidah-3 11
Jessore-5 7
According to our Jhenidah correspondent, voting at 11 polling centers out of 541 was postponed after incidents of arson and bombs attacks, vandalism and snatching of election materials were reported at the stations, said Safiqul Islam, deputy commissioner and also returning officer of the district.
In Lalmonirhat, the authorities decided to suspend voting at five polling centers — Vandardah, Kuchlibari, Jamuna and Baura Government Primary Schools and Hosnabath Community Primary School — in Patgram upazila.
The suspension order came as anti-election activists torched the three polling centers of Vandardah, Kuchlibari and Jamuna Government Primary Schools early today, said Rafiqul Haque, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Patgram upazila.
In Hosnabath and Baura polling centers, miscreants looted ballot boxes around 7:00am, the UNO said.
Our Jessore correspondent adds: Voting has been suspended at seven polling centers in the district. Of the centers, miscreants looted ballot boxes at Bhojgati and Hurgati government primary schools in Monirumpur upazila early today.
The reasons behind postponement of voting at the other polling centers could not be known immediately.
