Gazipur: Bringing widespread allegations, including vote frauds and capturing of most polling stations, BNP mayoral candidate Hasan Uddin Sarker in Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) elections on Tuesday demanded the Election Commission (EC) to stop voting immediately.

He came up with the demand at a press conference at Gazipur BNP office around 1:30pm. ‘They (AL men) captured over 100 centres since the morning after driving out my polling agents and established full control over all the polling stations by 1pm,’ the BNP mayoral candidate said, reports the UNB.

Sarker said the ruling party men first started driving out his agents from different centres at Kashimpur and Kona Bari areas around 9am.

‘With the passage of time, they forced our agents to leave all the polling stations. Now I have no agent at any centre,’ he added.

He also said they have lodged complaints with the returning officer, but no visible action was taken in this regard. The BNP mayoral candidate said the ruling party men were stuffing ballots and casting fake votes in absence of his agents.

Meanwhile, he also said a letter would be sent to the returning officer demanding the cancellation of the election. Sarker also claimed that at least 30 of his agents were beaten up and some others were arrested from different polling centres.

Earlier in the morning, Sarker cast his vote at Bashiruddin Udayan Academy polling centre in Tongi. The BNP candidate, however, said he would be there in the race till the last minute of the election to expose the Election Commission’s failure and incompetence and the ruling party’s real character once again.

Voting in the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) elections began on Tuesday morning to elect its new mayor and councillors.The balloting that began at 8:00 am will continue till 4:00 pm without any break at 425 polling stations.