Independent candidate for Dhaka-9, Tasnim Jara, today alleged that her polling agents faced obstruction at several voting centres, with many denied entry or expelled on what she described as “baseless and fabricated” grounds.
Speaking to reporters at the Khilgaon Model College centre, Jara said her agents were being removed under excuses that had no legal standing.
“My polling agents are being prevented from entering centres or are being forced out using various made-up excuses. Some are being told, ‘You are not a voter here,’ even though there is no rule requiring a polling agent to be a voter of that particular constituency,” she said.
She further alleged that female polling agents were being barred from male polling centres under non-existent regulations.
“They are also repeatedly being told that phones cannot be brought inside, whereas the rule is that phones may be carried but cannot be used. Using these excuses, our agents are being pushed out while voting continues inside,” she added.
Calling the situation unacceptable, Jara questioned how the process could be considered fair if her representatives were not allowed to observe proceedings.
“When I ask what specific rule they are enforcing, they cannot answer. A short while ago, I had to personally go and resolve one such incident. But as a candidate, I cannot keep running to presiding officers to ask which rule allows them to remove my agents based on such baseless claims,” she said.
She also alleged a lack of accountability among polling officials.
“When I ask who gave the order, they just say, ‘I was told,’ but refuse to name the person. This cannot be acceptable in any way. We want a fair election, and denying our agents entry under false excuses goes against that,” she said, adding that similar complaints had come from several centres.
Jara is contesting as an independent candidate in Dhaka-9, where she faces strong competition from BNP candidate Habibur Rashid. The constituency has 469,360 registered voters, with 12 candidates contesting in the election.
