A female voter broke down in tears after being told that her vote had already been cast when she arrived at a polling station in Pirgacha upazila on Thursday.
The incident occurred around 12:00pm at the Teyani Moniram Government Primary School polling centre. Nurjahan Begum, a long-time voter who said she had participated in many elections without facing any problems, said she was shocked to hear the announcement from polling officials.
“I have been voting for many years without any issue. But today they told me someone else has already cast my vote. I came to cast it myself,” she said in a tearful voice after coming out of the booth.
The incident sparked whispers, anxiety and frustration among voters present at the centre. Several local residents alleged that scattered incidents of fake voting had been taking place since the morning.
“We have been observing since morning that in some cases votes were already cast before the actual voters arrived. It is very concerning,” said local resident Zahurul Islam.
Another voter, Rahima Khatun, expressed her anger, saying, “If we come to vote and are told our vote is already done, then where do we go? This is our right.
Presiding Officer Monchur Hossain said the situation may have occurred due to a failure by polling agents to properly identify voters.
“It happened because the polling agents could not identify properly. We are trying to ensure such incidents do not recur. The matter is being taken seriously,” he said.
Assistant Returning Officer and Pirgacha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Debashish Basak said he was looking into the allegations.
“I am investigating the matter. If the allegations are found to be true, necessary action will be taken,” he said.
Tension briefly flared at the polling centre following the incident, but the situation was later brought under control with the presence of law enforcement agencies.
