CEC rules out BNP allegation

Chief Election Commi-ssioner KM Nurul Huda on Thursday brushed aside the BNP's allegation of forcing the party's agents out of polling centres during the Rangpur City Corporation polls
The Election Commission has not found the veracity of
the BNP allegation as no voter, official or local complained so, he told the media, adding that even no media reported about such incident.
Three hours after voting started, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the allegation that BNP mayoral candidate Kawsar Jahan Babla was declined to inspect the polling centres while voters were being intimidated and turned away from the polls.
The party's allegation of creating obstruction by administration on the way of smooth voting in RCC polls is not "valid", Nurul Huda said.
The CEC came up with the comment hours after BNP alleged that the local administration obstructed voters on their way to the polling stations and their polling agents were also driven out of the polling booths.
While talking to reporters at the Nirbachon Bhaban, the CEC said, "We have collected information from local level. Voters didn't come up with any allegation. So, the allegation doesn't seem to be authentic."
He also expressed satisfaction over the overall election atmosphere and said the EC planned to use EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) in the election carefully and no problem was found in its implementation.
He said the voters are also satisfied using the EVMs in the election.
"We have a plan of using the EVMs in the next local body elections in a small scale. However, it will not be possible to use the system in the upcoming national election," the CEC said.