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The Awami League-led alliance is headed for a landslide victory in the ninth parliamentary polls held on Monday.
   According to unofficial results of the polls, available till submission of this report at 2:00am, the Awami League-led alliance won 193 seats.
   Their main rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance, was poised for a debacle in the crucial polls winning only 19 seats. Others won three seats.
   The AL-led alliance was leading in most of the rest 74 seats, while elections to Noakhali 1 constituency was deferred to January 12 for the death of the AL-led alliance candidate for the constituency, Nurul Islam, also Ganatantree Party president.
   In the elections, held after a lapse of two years for a state of emergency, both the former prime ministers, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, who had been sued on graft charges by the military-controlled interim government and detained in special jails on the Jatiya Sangsad complex, won the highest number of three seats each they contested as per the new electoral rules.
   The elections, however, saw many stalwarts of the immediate-past ruling coalition suffer a humiliating defeat in a reversal of their political fortunes.
   They include Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar (Panchagarh 1), BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain (Manikganj 1), former ministers M Saifur Rahman (Sylhet 1 and Moulvibazar 3), Moudud Ahmed (Noakhali 5), Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain (Comilla 1), M Hafizuddin Ahmed (Bhola 3), Dhaka mayor Sadek Hossain (Dhaka 6), BNP standing committee members Khandker Mahbubuddin Ahmad (Dhaka 12) and Mahbubur Rahman (Dinajpur 2), former Rajshahi mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu (Rajshahi 2), ASM Hannan Shah (Dhaka 17) and the party vice chairmen Tariqul Islam (Jessore 3).
   Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Matiur Rahman Nizami (Pabna1) and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid (Faridpur 3), and Islami Oikya Jote chairman Fazlul Haque Amini were also defeated.
   Expelled BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan (Narsingdi 3), Communist Party of Bangladesh president Manzurul Ahsan Khan and Krishak Sramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddiq, were also among the unsuccessful candidates in the polls.
   Besides Awami League, prominent leaders of other political parties who won the polls from the AL-led alliance, include Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Hasanul Haq Inu.
   Former president Badruddoza Chowdhury, also Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh chairman, was also defeated.
   The polling for the ninth parliamentary elections ended peacefully at 4:00pm Monday with a high turnout of voters.
   The polling began at 8:00am and continued till 4:00pm without any break. The voters who could enter the polling station compounds by 4:00pm were allowed to cast their vote after the deadline as usual.
   No untoward incidents, but a few sporadic, took place during polling hours. No major untoward incidents were, however, reported till 9:00pm.
   Polling was suspended at the Mati Mia High School centre in Begumganj (Noakhali 3 constituency) at 1:20pm after clashes between supporters of rival candidates.
   The Begumganj upazila nirbahi officer, Manzurul Momin, said polling was suspended after the supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate Barkatullah Bulu and the independent candidate Minhaj Ahmed Javed had traded accusations of influencing the voters and clashed with each other.
   Polling at the Pratapnagar Government Primary School and the Prtapnagar United Academy in the Satkhira 3 constituency was cancelled over an allegation of influencing voters in casting their vote. The returning officer, Md Mizanur Rahman, said the executive magistrate had cancelled the polling.
   BNP-led alliance polling agent Yakub Ali was arrested on charge of helping a woman to cast fake vote in Sakhipur union council polling centre in the Satkhira 3 constituency.
   About 100 people were injured in stray clashes across the country.
   In the Noakhali 5 constituency, three persons were injured as supporters of rival candidates clashed in the Kalam Bux polling centre. Stray clashes also took place in the Noakhali 6 constituency in which one was wounded.
   Fifteen people were injured in a clash between the supporters of two rival candidates in the Purba Kamalapur Government Primary School centre at Kalkini.
   Three people were injured as supporters of two rival candidates clashed over voters’ list in the Nalgora Government Primary School centre at Shibchar. Shibchar municipal councillor Abdul Kader Khan was admitted to hospital.
   In the Noakhali 4 constituency, police constable Belal Hossain was injured at Andar Char at noon when a police team fended off a clash between the activists of two rival candidates.
   Five election observers of non-governmental organisation Association of Muslim Welfare Agencies in Bangladesh were injured in an attack by Awami League activists at Chauddagram in Comilla. The district coordinator of the organisation, Shahidul Islam, told New Age their observers were also driven out of the Bakair Government Primary School centre and the Tarasai Primary School centre by Awami League activists.
   Local Awami League leaders claimed the attack had resulted from misunderstanding. The activists attacked the observers taking them as outsider Jamaat-e-Islami activists as they went to visit the polling station Sunday night.
   In the Comilla 10 constituency, Awami League activists allegedly drove the BNP-led alliance polling agents out of polling stations at Belghar, Bagmara and Gholuin unions.
   Three persons injured in clashes in the Uttar Laikharchar Government Primary School centre at Chakaria in Coxe’s Bazar at about 3:30pm. The injured were admitted to Chakoria Hospital.
   The BNP candidate for the Chandpur 1 constituency Ehsanul Haq Milan, who was moving about in a car, was attacked at Narayanpur Bazar by the activists of his rival at about 10:00am. The police said the car was slightly damaged, but Milan escaped unhurt.
   Former BNP lawmaker Manzurul Ahsan Munshi, also the husband of the BNP candidate for Comilla 4 constituency Majeda Ahsan, was arrested in the Mohammadpur polling centre on allegation of violating the electoral code of conduct. The police said Manzur was moving about in a car at Debidwar and was trying to influence voters in favour of his wife.
   In Bhola, the navy personnel held the Lalmohan municipal mayor, Enayet Kabir, on charge of obstructing a group of people from voting in the Mahila College centre at 11:30am. He was later handed over to the police. BNP agents were also allegedly driven out of two polling booths in two centres.
   Assistant presiding officer Muhammad Ali of the Gopalpur Primary School centre was withdrawn on charge of influencing a voter with disability to cast vote for the candidate of the officer’s choice for the Bagerhat 2 constituency.
   In Barisal 5, assistant presiding officer Shahabuddin of the Harinaphulia centre was withdrawn after a complaint had been lodged by some voters of trying to influence them. BNP candidate complained of ‘election engineering.’
   The police detained a polling officer, Lalan Uddin Master, in the Zahirpur Government Primary School centre in the Pabna 5 (sadar) constituency on charge of violating the electoral code of conduct.
   The police said Lalan Master had allegedly marked the fingers of the voters with indelible ink and asked them to go away saying their voting had been completed. The police detained him at about 2:30pm and he was withdrawn from duties when local voters raised their voice against the incident.
   The accused Lalan, however, brushed aside the allegation saying he had stamped the symbols on the ballot for the old and uneducated women.
   Assistant presiding officer Jahangir Alam of the Khatiamari High School centre at Dhunat in Bogra was arrested by the police at noon on allegation of stamping the symbol of paddy sheaf on behalf of an old woman, who wanted to stamp the symbol of boat.
   In Jhalakati, BNP agents were allegedly driven out of the polling booths by the rivals at Shekherhat and Shirjug centres.
   A man was arrested in possession of a forged ballot paper at the Sundarban Women College centre at Rampal in Bagerhat.
   The police said local people captured Aminul Sardar in possession of the forged ballot paper at about 3:30pm when he was roaming about the area. He was later handed over the Rampal police.
   Although the elections were peaceful, irregularities and lack of proper voting arrangements — including violation of code of conduct, mismatch of voter’s identity, establishment of several polling centres on a single compound and several polling booth in one room, and lack of awareness among voters in general and women voters in particular — slowed down the polling.
   ‘Some irregularities were there as some candidates had violated the code of conduct by setting up camps within 200 yards of polling centres, polling agents of major political parties were carrying badges marked with their election symbols and assistant presiding officers were allowing seven to eight candidates at a time inside a booth,’ Sayeed Hossain Chowdhury, an independent candidate contesting the polls for the Dhaka 11 constituency, told New Age.
   Thousands of voters could not cast their votes across the country because of such irregularities and mismanagement. Many voters, who have got their national identity cards, failed to cast their vote as their names could not be found on the electoral roll.
   The mismatch between electoral rolls and identity cards tried voters’ patience and sent many back home frustrated.
   At least 20 people alleged they could not cast their vote as their names could not be found in the electoral roll in the Begum Noorjahan School polling station at Adabar in Dhaka where others of their neighbours cast their vote.
   Showing their national identity cards, they asked the presiding officer to help them, but the officer said he had nothing to do. According to the people, at least 80 people of the Rafique Housing Area at Adabar have got their national identities, but they have not found their names on the electoral roll.
   Voters held protests in the Narayanganj Government Primary school polling station as they were not allowed to cast their vote because of the mismatch between the roll and their identity cards. Similar incidents were reported from everywhere in the district.
   New Age correspondents in cities and district headquarters reported similar situation.
   A number of women voters informed the chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, of the matters when he visited the Narayanganj Government Women’s College centre at 12:20pm.
   Shamsul said, ‘I have visited six centres and found problems in two centres relating to electoral rolls. I could not fine ready solutions to the problem, but I think you are on the list for some other centres.’
   Many voters, however, claimed they had gone went to all the polling stations around their houses, but failed to cast their vote.
   The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, in the afternoon, demanded extension to the deadline for the polling, saying there were long queues in the polling stations.
   The polling deadline, however, was not extended and many voters alleged they could not cast their vote although they were standing in queues before 4:00pm.
   In Badda Miftahul Ulum Madrassah centre in Dhaka, where the total number of voters is more than 16,000 for six polling stations, more than 2,000 were standing in the queue at 4:00pm.
   The polling officials and law enforcers allowed most of them to get inside the compound, but about 200 were left out. As they protested at the incident, the police dispersed them by charging at them with truncheons, they alleged.

In Panchagarh 2, Nurul Islam Sujon of the Awami League, polling 142,488 votes, defeated Md Mojahar Hossain of the BNP, who won 91,700 votes.
   In Thakurgaon 1, Ramesh Chandra Sen of the Awami League, polling 1,76,918 votes, defeated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the BNP, who bagged 1,18,521 votes.
   In Thakurgaon 2, Mohammad Dabirul Islam of the Awami League, who polled 1,02,833 votes, defeated Abdul Hakim of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who bagged 98,456.
   In Thakurgaon 3, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed of the Jatiya Party polled 1,60,107 votes to defeat Md Zahidur Rahman Zahid of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 46,545 votes.
   In Dinajpur 1, Manoranjan Sheel Gopal of the Awami League, polling 1,43,097 votes, defeated Mohammad Hanif of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who bagged 1,07,168 votes.
   In Dinajpur 2, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury of the Awami League polled 1,38,152 votes to defeat retired lieutenant general Mahbubur Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 89,419 votes.
   In Dinajpur 3, Iqbalur Rahim of the Awami League, polling 1,40,934 votes, defeated Shafiul Alam Pradhan of the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party as the BNP-led alliance candidate, who bagged 1,07,353 votes.
   In Dinajpur 4, Hasan Mahmud Ali of the Awami League, polling 1,18,188 votes, defeated Akhteruzzaman Mia of the BNP, who won 79,133 votes.
   In Dinajpur 5, Mustafizur Rahman of the Awami League polled 1,68,419 votes to defeat Rezaul Haq of the BNP, who won 1,26,524 votes.
   In Dinajpur 6, Azizul Haq Chowdhury of the Awami League, polling 1,33,604 votes, defeated Anwarul Islam of the Jamaat-e-Islami, who bagged 1,32,108 votes.
   In Nilphamari 3, Kazi Faruq Kader of the Jatiya Party, polling 1,46,947 votes, defeated Azizul Islam of the Jamaat-e-Islami, who won 82,620 votes.
   In Lalmonirhat 2, M Majibur Rahman of the Jatiya Party got 1,62,678 votes to defeat Saleh Uddin Ahmed Helal of the BNP, who bagged 61,118 votes.
   In Lalmonirhat 3, GM Quader of the Jatiya Party, polling 98,217 votes, defeated Asadul Habib Dulu of the BNP, who bagged 74,653 votes.
   In Gaibandha 1, retired colonel Abdul Quader Khan of the Jatiya Party, polling 1,57,806 votes, defeated Abu Saleh Md Aziz Mia of the Jamaat-e-Islami, who polled 68, 454 votes.
   In Gaibandha 3, TIM Fazley Rabbi Chowdhury of the Jatiya Party, polling 179,095 votes, defeated Abul Kawser Md Nazrul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami, who polled 76,460 votes.
   In Gaibandha 4, Monwar Hossain Chowhdury of the Awami League polled 145,201 votes to defeat Abdur Rahim Sarkar of Jamaat-e-Islami, who polled 70,111 votes.
   In Jaipurhat 2, Golam Mostafa of the BNP got 116,881 votes to defeat Abu Syed Al Mahmud Sawpan of the Awami League, who got 113721 votes.
   In Chapainawabganj 1, Enamul Haq of the Awami League polled 1,39,308 votes to defeat Shajahan Mia of the BNP, who polled 1,16,673 votes.
   In Chapainawabganj 2, Ziaur Rahman of the Awami League, polling 1,51,085 votes, defeated Aminul Islam of the BNP, who polled 1,21,969 votes.
   In Chapainawabganj 3, Abdul Wadud of the Awami League polled 1,12,753 votes to defeat Harunur Rashid of the BNP, who polled 76,178 votes.
   In Rajshahi 2, Fazley Hossain Badsha of the Workers Party of Bangladesh polled 1,16,599 votes to defeat Enamul Huq of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, who won 89,050 votes.
   In Rajshahi 3, Meraj Uddin Molla of the Awami League, polling 1,42,487 votes, defeated Kabir Hossain of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 93,639 votes.
   In Rajshahi 5, Abdul Wadud of the Awami League polled 1,24,398 votes to defeat Nazrul Islam Mandal of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 1,08,083 votes.
   In Rajshahi 6, Shahrier Alam of the Awami League got 1,26,807 votes to defeat Azizur Rahman of BNP, who got 99,148 votes.
   In Sirajganj 1, Tanvir Shakil Joy of the Awami League won 1,77,732 votes and defeated Md abdul Majid Minu of the BNP, who won 40,814 votes.
   In Sirajganj 2 Rumana Mahmud of the BNP polled 1,28,432 votes to defeat Zannat Ara Henry of Awami League, who won 1,26,311 votes.
   In Sirajganj 3, Md Ishaq Talukder of the Awami League won 1,64,752 votes to defeat Abdul Mannan Talukder of the BNP, who won 1,09,525 votes.
   In Sirajganj 4, Shafiqul Islam of the Awami League won 1,62,503 votes and defeated Rafiqul Islam Khan of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who won 97,463 votes.
   In Sirajganj 5, Abdul Latif Bishwas of Awami League won 1,19,582 votes to defeat Manjur Kader of the BNP, who won 1,19,330 votes.
   In Sirajganj 6, Chayan Islam of the Awami League polled 1,55,299 votes to defeat Kamruddin Ahiya Khan Majlish of the BNP, who won 1,27,374 votes.
   In Pabna 1, Shamsul Huque Tuku of the Awami League, polling 1,45,012 votes, defeated Matiur Rahman Nizami of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who polled 1,22,922 votes.
   In Pabna 2, Abdul Karim Khandker (AK Khandker) of the Awami League, polling 1,16,730 votes, defeated AKM Selim Reza Habib of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 95,000 votes.
   In Pabna 5, Golam Faruque Khandoker Prince of the Awami League polled 61,413 votes and defeated Abul Boshar Md Abdus Subhan of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who won 41,663 votes.
   In Meherpur 2, Moqbul Hossain of the Awami League, polling 84,279 votes, defeated Amzad Hossain of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 86,768 votes.
   In Jhenaidah 1, Abdul Hai of the Awami League got 109050 to defeat Abdul Wahab of the BNP, who won 85899 votes.
   In Jhenaidah 4, Abdul Mannan of the Awami League, polling 1,05,852 votes, defeated Shahiduzzaman Beltu of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 1,01,175 votes.
   In Magura 1, Serajul Akbar of the Awami League polled 1,35,596 votes to defeat Iqbal Akhtar Khan of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party who won 1,09,835 votes.
   In Narail 1, Kabirul Huq, who polled 63,825 votes as an independent candidate, defeated Biswas Jahangir Alam of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 50,777 votes.
   In Narail 2, SM Abu Baker of the Awami League got 1,25,458 votes to defeat Sharif Khasruzzaman of the BNP, who got 69,657 votes.
   In Bagerhat 1, Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League, polling 1,42,979 votes, defeated Sheikh Wahiduzzaman Dipu of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 58,533 votes.
   In Bagerhat 2, Mir Showkat Ali Badsha of the Awami League, polling 13,846 votes, defeated MA Salam of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 96,954 votes.
   In Bagerhat 3, Habibur Nahar Khaleque of the Awami League polled 97,015 votes to defeat Abdul Wadud Sheikh of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who won 66,177 votes.
   In Bagerhat 4, Mozammel Hosain of the Awami League polled 1,09,264 votes to defeat Shahidul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami, who bagged 74,839 votes.
   In Jhalakati 2, Amir Hosain Amu of the Awami League polled 1,04,444 votes to defeat Israt Sultana Elen Bhutto of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party , who won 73,851 votes.
   In Dhaka 20, Benazir Ahmed of the Awami League, polling 133437 votes, defeated Ziaur Rahman Khan of the BNP, who got 93177 votes.
   In Mymensingh 1, Pramod Mankin of the Awami League, polling 1,42,981 votes, defeated Afzal H Khan of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 91,345 votes.
   In Netrakona 1, Mostaq Ahmed Ruhi of the Awami League polled 132977 votes to defeat Kaysar Kamal of the BNP, who polled 82322 votes.
   In Netrakona 3, Manzur Kader Quarisshi of the Awami League polled 132557 votes to defeat the BNP’s Rafiqul Islam Hilali, who got 86948 votes.
   In Netrakona 5, Waresat Hossain Belal of the Awami League got 108860 votes to defeat the BNPs Mohammad Ali, who got 28675 votes.
   In Kishoreganj 6, Zillur Rahman of the Awami League bagged 1,44,587 votes to defeat Shariful Alam of the BNP, who polled 89,837 votes.
   In Narayanganj 2, Nazrul Islam Babu of the Awami League polled 1,17,435 votes to defeat Badruzzaman Khan Khasru of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 78,675 votes.
   In Shariatpur 1, BM Mozammel Haque of the Awami League, polling 1,17,386 votes, defeated Shahidul Haq Sikdar of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 56,853 votes.
   In Shariatpur 2, retired colonel Shawkat Ali of the Awami League polled 1,14,808 votes to defeat Shafiqur Rahman Kiran of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 80,096.
   In Shariatpur 3, Abdur Razzak of the Awami League polled 1,02,925 vote to defeat AKM Hemayet Ullah Aurangazeb of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party who won 52,672 votes.
   In Sunamganj 1, Moazzem Hossain Ratan of the Awami League, polling 1,55,252 votes, defeated Rafique Chowdhury of the BNP, who polled 94,458 votes.
   In Sunamganj 2, Suranjit Sen Gupta of the Awami League polled 95,993 votes to defeat Nasir Chowdhury of the BNP, who bagged 77,889 votes.
   In Sunamganj 3, MA Mannan of the Awami League polled 1,34,559 votes to defeat Shahinur Pasha Chowdhury of the BNP, who bagged 56,765 votes.
   In Sunamganj 4, Begum Mamtaj Iqbal of the Jatiya Party, polling 1,23,883 votes, defeated Fazlul Haq Asfia of the BNP, who won 58,964 votes.
   In Sunamganj 5, Mohibur Rahman Manik of the Awami League, polling 1,65,697 votes, defeated Kalimuddin Ahmed of the BNP, who won 85,197 votes.
   In Sylhet 1, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith of the Awami League, polling 1,78,636 votes, defeated M Saifur Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 1,40,367 votes.
   In Sylhet 2, Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury of the Awami League, polling 109,356 votes, defeated M Elias Ali of the BNP, who polled 106,040 votes.
   In Sylhet 3, Mahmud-us Samad Chowdhury of the Awami League polled 97,593 votes to defeat Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury of the BNP, who bagged 54,955 votes.
   In Sylhet 4, Imran Ahmed of the Awami League polled 1,44,198 votes to defeat Dildar Hossain Selim of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 98,545 votes.
   In Sylhet 5, Hafiz Ahmed Majumder of the Awami League polled 109,690 votes to defeat Farid Uddin Chowdhury of Jamaat-e-Islami, who won 78,061 votes.
   In Sylhet 6, Nurul Islam Nahid of the Awami League polled 138,353 votes to defeat Habibur Rahman of Jamaat-e-Islami, who polled 51,764 votes.
   In Moulvibazar 1, Shahabuddin of the Awami League polled 1,06,570 votes to defeat Ebadur Rahman Chowdhury of BNP, who got 69609 votes.
   In Habiganj 3, Abu Zahir of the Awami League polled 1,47,827 votes to defeat Abu Lais Md Mubin Chowdhury of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 57,260 votes.
   In Comilla 1, Md Subid Ali Bhuiyan of the Awami League, polling 1,14,818 votes, defeated Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 96,378 votes.
   In Comilla 2, MK Anwar of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party polled 94,105 votes to defeat Md Abdul Majid of the Awami League, who won 76,666 votes.
   In Comilla 3, Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad of the BNP, polling 124,386 votes, defeated Jahangir Alam of the Awami League, who polled 109,823 votes.
   In Comilla 4, ABM Golam Mostafa of the Awami League polled 115,056 votes to defeat Mazeda Ahsan Munshi of the BNP, who polled 81,365 votes.
   In Comilla 6, AKM Bahauddin of the Awami League polled 126,136 votes to defeat Md Aminur Rashid Yasin of the BNP, who won 102,450 votes.
   In Comilla 7, Md Ali Ashraf of the Awami League, polling 79,440 votes, defeated Md Khorshed Alam of the BNP, who polled 73,933 votes.
   In Comilla 10, AHM Mostofa Kamal (Lotus Kamal) of the Awami League polled 138,089 votes to defeat Md Mobaswer Alam Bhuiyan of the BNP, who bagged 89,821 votes.
   In Chandpur 4, Harun or Rashid of the BNP got 88905 votes while his rival Shafiqur Rahman of the Awami League got 81838 votes
   In Feni 1, Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, polling 1,14,482 votes, defeated Faiz Ahmed of the Awami League, who won 58,551 votes.
   In Feni 2, Zainal Abedin of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, polling 1,11,076 votes, defeated Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury of the Awami League, who won 78,221 votes.
   In Feni 3, Mosharraf Hossain of the BNP, who polled 1,34,940 votes, defeated Abul Bashar of the Awami League, who won 93,630 votes.
   In Bhola 1, Andaleeve Rahman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party polled 95,158 votes to defeat Yusuf Hossain Humyun of the Awami League who won 78,479 votes.
   In Bhola 2, Tofail Ahmed of the Awami League, polling 1,03,592 votes, defeated Azhiqur Rahman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party, who won 78,734 votes.
   In Bhola 3, Md Jasimuddin of the Awami League polled 96,096 votes to defeat Hafizuddin Aahmed of the BNP, who won 82,136 votes.
   In Bhola 4, Abdullah Al Islam of the Awami League polled 1,35,926 votes to defeat Nazimuddin Alam of the BNP, who won 96,363 votes.
   In Barisal 5, Mazibur Rahman Sarwar of the BNP polled 1,05,694 while his Zahid Faruk of the Awami League got 99,993 votes.
   In Jessore 1, Sheikh Afiluddin of the Awami League, polling 94,556 votes, defeated Azizur Rahman of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who won 88,700 votes.
   In Jessore 2, Mustafa Farooq Mohammad of the Awami League, polling 1,54,875 votes, defeated Abu Sayed Md Shahdat Hossain of the Jamaat-e-Islami, who won 1,33,244 votes.
   In Jessore 3, Khaledur Rahman Titu of the Awami League, polling 1,66,192 votes, defeated Tariqul Islam of the BNP, who won 1,22,549 votes.
   In Jessore 4, Ranjit Kumar Roy of the Awami League polled 1,02,958 votes to defeat TS Ayub of the BNP who won 97,520 votes.
   In Jessore 5, Khan Tipu Sultan of the Awami League, polling 1,19,914 votes, defeated Mohammad Waqqas of the BNP, who won 1,03,739 votes.
   In Jessore 6, Sheikh Abdul Wahab of the Awami League polled 1,66,994 votes to defeat Abul Hossain Azad of the BNP, who won 1,22,267 votes.
   In Rajbari 1, Kazi Keramat Ali of the Awami League, polling 1,41,561 votes, defeated Ali Newaz of the BNP, who won 83,933 votes.
   In Rajbari 2, Zillul Hakim of the Awami League polled 1,91,961 votes to defeat Nasirul Haq of the BNP, who won 1,32,817 votes.
   In Faridpur 1, Abdur Rahim of the Awami League, polling 1,74,730 votes, defeated Abu Zafar of the BNP, who won 72,596 votes.
   In Faridpur 2, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury of the Awami League polled 1,16,625 votes to defeat Shama Obaid Islam of the BNP, who won 76,046 votes.
   In Faridpur 3, Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain of the Awami League, polling 1,22,417 votes, defeated Kamal Ibne Yusuf, who won 75,363 votes as an independent candidate.
   In Faridpur 4, Nilufar Zafarullah of the Awami League polled 1,57,491 votes to defeat Mustafa Amir Faisal of the Zaker Party, who won 69,955 votes.
   In Gopalganj 1, Farooq Khan of the Awami League polled 1,82,118 votes to defeat Selimuzzaman Molla of the BNP, who won 10,082 votes.
   In Gopalganj 2, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim of the Awami League, polling 1,90,228 votes, defeated Sirajul Islam of the BNP, who bagged 8,013 votes.
   In Gopalganj 3, Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League polled 1,58,858 votes to defeat SM Zilani of the BNP, who polled 4,421 votes.
   In Noakhali 2, Joynal Abedin Farooq of the BNP, polling 87,463 votes, defeated Jamaluddin Aahamed of the Awami League, who polled 67,497 votes.
   In Noakhali 3, Barkatullah Bhulu of the BNP polled 98,537 votes to defeat Minhaj Ahmed Javed, who polled 74,246 votes as an independent candidate.
   In Noakhali 4, Ekramul Karim Chowdhury of the Awami League, polling 1,31,706 votes, defeated Md Shahjahan of the BNP, who won 1,18,956 votes.
   In Noakhali 5, Obaidul Quader of the Awami League polled 1,12,575 votes to defeat Maudud Ahmed of the BNP, who won 1,11,204 votes.
   In Noakhali 6, Fazlul Azim., who polled 72,969 votes as an independent candidate, defeated Ayesha Ferdous, also an independent candidate who bagged 67,983 votes.
   In Narsingdi 1, Nazrul Islam of the Awami League, polling 1,22,105 votes, defeated Khairul Kabir Khokan of the BNP, who won 1,05,443 votes.
   In Narsingdi 2, Anwarul Ashraf Khan of the Awami League, polling 1,00,812 votes, defeated Moyeen Khan of the BNP, who won 71,280 votes.
   In Narsingdi 3, Zahirul Haq Mohan of the Awami League, who polled 93,746 votes, defeated Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan who polled 66,942 votes as an independent candidate.
   In Narsingdi 4, Nurul Majid Humayun of the Awami League, polling 1,45,989 votes, defeated Joynal Abedin of the BNP, who won 78,800 votes.
   In Narsingdi 5, Rajiuddin Ahmed of the Awami League polled 88,027 votes to defeat Jamal Ahmed Chowdhury of the BNP, who won 43684 votes.
   In Barguna 1, Dhirendra Chandra Devnath of the Awami League polled 1,31,933 votes to defeat Delwar Hossain who polled 80,467 votes as an independent candidate.
   In Barguna 2, Golam Sabur of the Awami League polled 90,161 votes to defeat Khandkar Mahbub Hossain of the BNP, who won 66,433 votes.
   In Natore 1, Abu Talha of the Jatiya Party polled 1,23,839 votes to defeat Fazlur Rahman Patol of the BNP, who won 1,03,818 votes.
   In Natore 2, Ahad Ali Sarkar of the Awami League, polling 1,35,432 votes, defeated Sabina Yasmin of the BNP, who bagged 1,11,769 votes.
   In Natore 3, Junaid Ahmed Palab of the Awami League polled 1,28,406 votes to defeat Kazi Golam Morshed of the BNP, who won 77,948 votes.
   In Natore 4, Abdul Quddus of the Awami League polled 1,61,845 votes to defeat Mozammel Haq of the BNP, who won 1,14,242 votes.
   In Satkhira 1, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the Awami League, polling 1,68,298 votes, defeated Habibul Islam of the BNP, who won 1,61,164 votes.
   In Satkhira 2, MA Jabber of the Jatiya Party, who polled 1,33,422 votes, defeated Abdul Khaleque of Jamaat-e-Islami, who polled 1,14,557 votes.
   In Satkhira 3, AFM Rhuhul Haq of the Awami League, polling 1,42,709 votes, defeated MA Riasat Ali of Jamaat-e-Islami, who won 1,33,802 votes.
   In Satkhira 4, AHM Golam Reza of the Jatiya Party polled 1,60,024 votes to defeat BM Nazrul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami, who bagged 1,09,044 votes.
   In Tangail 1, Abdur Razzak of the Awami League, polling 1,71,006 votes, defeated Fakir Mahbub Anam of the BNP, who won 88,488 votes.
   In Tangail 2, Khandkar Azaduzzaman of the Awami League polled 1,44,710 votes to defeat Sultan Salahuddin Tuku of the BNP, who won 1,03,703 votes.
   In Tangail 3, Matiur Rahman of the Awami League, who polled 1,40,542 votes, defeated Lutfar Rahman Khan Azad of the BNP, who polled 82,978 votes.
   In Tangail 4, Abdul Latif Siddiqi of the Awami League, polling 1,38,646 votes, defeated Lutfar Rahman Matin of the BNP, who bagged 86,912 votes.
   In Tangail 5, Abul Kashem of the Jatiya Party, polling 1,47,152 votes, defeated Mahmudul Hasan of the BNP, who polled 72,805 votes.
   In Tangail 6, Khandkar Abdul Baten, who polled 1,34,297 votes as an independent candidate, defeated Ahsanul Islam Titu of the AL, who won 86,808 votes.
   In Tangail 7, Ekabbar Hossain of the Awami League, polling 1,30,154 votes, defeated Abul Kalam Azad Siddiqi of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 88,916 votes.
   In Tangail 8, Shawkat Momen Shahjahan of the Awami League polled 1,34,626 votes to defeat Ahmed Azam Khan of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who won 65,521 votes.
   In Brahmanbaria 1, Saidul Haq of the Awami League, polling 99,886 votes, defeated SAK Ekramuzzaman of the BNP, who won 85,312 votes.
   In Brahmanbaria 2, Ziaul Haq Mridha of the JP polled 1,43,770 votes to defeat Fazlul Haq Amini of the Islami Oikya Jote, who polled 94,492 votes.
   In Brahmanbaria 3, Lutful Hye of the Awami League, who bagged 1,60,052 votes, defeated Harun Al-Rashid of the BNP, who polled 86,587 votes.
   In Brahmanbaria 4, Shah Alam of the Awami League, polling 1,18,658 votes, defeated Mushfiqur Rahman of the BNP, who won 82,527 votes.
   In Brahmanbaria 5, Shah Zikrul Ahmed of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) polled 1,12,575 votes to defeat Kazi Anwar Hossain of the BNP, who won 69,483 votes.
   In Brahmanbaria 6, AB Tajul Islam of the Awami League polled 94,016 to defeat Abdul Khaleq of the BNP, who bagged 58,790 votes.

The Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday evening called upon all leaders and activists of the party to have patience and exercise restraints until total victory was achieved.
   ‘All leaders and activists should exercise restraints until total victory is achieved’, Hasina’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad quoted her as saying.
   He said Hasina had asked the party activists not to bring out any processions anywhere until the polls results were officially announced.
   In the morning, Hasina said whatever the poll results may be, all political parties should accept the people’s mandate.
   She was talking with reporters at the City College polling centre after casting her vote with her sister Sheikh Rehana at about 8:25am.
   Hasina flashed V-sign after casting her vote and hoped that the Awami League-led alliance would win the people’s mandate to run the country for the next five years.
   ‘We want the elections to be held in a free and fair atmosphere so that the people get the result they expect and their democratic rights are returned’, she said adding that all should accept whatever the poll results might be.
   The AL chief expressed her satisfaction after casting her vote hoping that a people’s representative government would assume office through a fair election.
   Hasina referred to ‘attempts to buy votes’ by BNP-Jamaat candidates in many places. ‘If this happens how can I believe the elections will be free and fair’, she said and wanted to know what steps the caretaker government and the Election Commission were taking against such violation of the electoral rules.
   Responding to a query, she said her party did not want a repetition of the post-election violence of 2001. We do not want to see any further confrontation, conflicts or terrorism.
   ‘I wholeheartedly want restoration of a democratic government as every government, except my 1996-2001 government, were directed by the military – directly or indirectly’, Hasina said adding that only an elected government could fulfil the people’s expectations and ensure accountability and transparency of the government.
   The AL chief claimed that every regime, except her government, had created obstacles to transferring state power and as a result the nation had to wait for seven years to get an election.
   After casting her vote, Hasina visited several polling centres across the capital and exchanged views with her party candidates and supporters. The centres she visited included Bangladesh Leather & Technology College at Hazaribagh, Rayerbazar Gajamohan Tannery High School, RC Primary School at Mirpur, Pallabi MI Model High School, Mirpur Bangla School and College, Ashraf Ali High School at Mirpur, Uttara High School, Gudaraghat Badda High School, Viqarunnisa Noon School & College and Shyampur Primary School.
   Later, the AL chief visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.

The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, has said she will accept the result if the polling is held in a free, fair and unbiased manner as wanted by the people of the country.
   ‘We want to see an elected democratic government get established through free, fair and neutral polling,’ Khaleda said, expressing her confidence to win the national election.
   She made the statement after casting her vote at the Adamjee Cantonment College polling centre in the capital on Monday.
   ‘People have got the chance to elect their representatives through voting after two years of the schedule and they are casting votes in a festive mood. If the election is held in free, fair and neutral manner, the BNP-led four-party alliance will secure a massive victory,’ she told newsmen after casting her vote.
   Khaleda added that she had reports of disturbing the supporters of four-party alliance at some polling centres outside the capital, and undue arrest and harassment of the leaders and activists of BNP on false accusations, which was creating panic among the voters of the centres,’ she said while visiting the Motijheel Ideal School and College centre at around 2:30pm.
   ‘We want the polling is held in a free and fair manner and the party, which becomes winner, will form the government. We have no objection against it. But, what happens are not right at all,’ she said, citing the reports of disturbance at some centres in Bhola, Chandpur, and Chowddagram.
   Khaleda also raised concerns over casting of votes at slow rate due to mismanagement at the polling centres and asked the Election Commission to extend the voting time after 4.00pm.
   ‘I have visited a number of polling centres in the capital and saw a huge number of electorates were waiting outside the polling booths due to very slow casting of votes. I wanted to know the reason for slow voting, but none could answer properly,’ she said, adding that the arrangement for the women voters at some centres was not good and it was slowing the voters’ casting rate.
   ‘There are mismatches in the voters’ numbers too. How can I term the polling with such flaws as fair?’ Khaleda asked.
   When asked whether she terms the holding of polls in unfair manner, Khaleda said, ‘No, I am not saying it right now. But the enthusiasm, which I saw among the voters for casting votes, was falling due to mismanagement and shortage of booths at the polling centres.’
   After casting vote, Khaleda went to visit the BAF Shaheen College centre at Kurmitola and the RAJUK Uttara Model College centre. At Rajuk Collge centre, Khaleda expressed dissatisfaction over the arrangement of booths for the female voters on the third floor.
   She also visited the Kurmitola High School centre, Madhya Badda Jamiyatul Islam Miftahul Ulum madrassah centre, Rampura Ekramunnesa College centre, Kamlapur High School centre, Quamrunnesa Girls High School centre, RAK Chowdhury College centre, Lalbag Government Primary School centre, Azimpur Girls High School centre, Teachers’ Training College centre, and Central Public Library centre in the city. A huge number of voters greeted her at these centres while paying visit.

The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, on Monday hoped that all parties would accept the polls results as voting was being held in a transparent way.
   ‘I do not see any problem. I hope that the final outcome of the ongoing voting process will be accepted by all,’ the CEC said while talking to a group of journalists during his flying visit.
   After casting his vote, Shamsul stopped at his Election Commission office briefly, and then went on to inspect different polling centres in the towns of Narayanganj and Munshiganj.
   Expressing his satisfaction over the polls environment, the CEC said, ‘No untoward incident has so far taken place in the country.’
   The CEC during his visits to different polling stations at about 2:00pm hoped for 70-75 percent turnout in the ninth parliamentary polls.
   ‘I am happy with the pace of vote casting and so far the polling across the country is peaceful. I can sense a festive mood in the voters crowding the polling centres and the tens of thousands of voters heading for home constituencies braving the cold,’ he said.

About 300 illegal migrants, mostly Bangladeshis, are feared dead after they jumped from a boat and tried to swim ashore in India’s remote Andaman islands, the Indian coast guard said on Sunday.
   A senior coast guard official said they had rescued 88 people from a small boat near Little Andaman island on Saturday.
   Another 11 men were found on nearby Sandy Point island, said SP Sharma, commander of the coast guard for the Andaman region, adding that about 300 men were still missing.
   ‘Around 300 of them reportedly jumped into the sea hoping to swim across to the shore,’ Sharma told reporters in Port Blair.
   ‘While all of them are feared dead or missing, search operations are still ongoing,’ he said.
   A survivor told officials there had been 412 men, aged between 18 and 60, on the boat, which had little food or water and only a plastic sheet for a sail.
   Sharma said the man told the police seven others had died at sea and their bodies were dumped overboard.
   Preliminary investigations suggested the men had left Bangladesh bound for Malaysia in six motorised boats about 45 days ago. At some point on their journey, the men had changed vessels, a coast guard statement said.
   One survivor, identified as Mohammad Ismail Arafat, said he and others had paid a Bangladeshi agent for promised jobs.
   ‘We were left to the mercy of God ... after drifting for 10-15 days when finally we saw a lighthouse, many jumped into the water,’ the statement quoted him as saying.
   Coast guard vessels were still combing the area and the police were searching nearby islands for survivors.
   Indian authorities said on Monday they still hope to find survivors, although the navy said it had recovered two more bodies.
   Two Indian navy ships have joined coastguard vessels searching for the missing men, officials said.
   ‘We are looking for them in all possible places near the south of Little Andaman as we think there could be more survivors,’ the Andamans defence spokesman, Mannu Virk, said in Port Blair.
   The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie about 1,200 km off India’s east coast.
   In Dhaka, the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reports: The foreign adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, said Bangladesh had sent letters to embassies of India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka for taking initiatives for the rescue of the victims while issued a general appeal to other neighbouring countries for any possible supports in this regard.
   ‘We are seeking more details on the reported incident,’ said Chowdhury, who is also in charge of the ministry of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment, also expressing his deep shock at the deaths.

Israel bombed Gaza for a third day Monday in an ‘all-out war’ on Hamas, as tanks massed on the border and the Islamists fired deadly rockets in retaliation for the blitz that has killed at least 318 people.
   Anger over the mammoth bombing campaign spiralled in the Muslim world, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, again deplored the violence, and efforts to hold talks between Syria and Israel were suspended as a result of the bombardment.
   With Israeli tanks idling along the border of the battered Palestinian enclave, the army declared the area a closed military zone — a move that in the past has often been followed by ground operations.
   The defence minister, Ehud Barak, who has warned of a possible ground offensive, declared that the Jewish state was in ‘an all-out war with Hamas and its proxies.’
   ‘We will avoid as much as possible hitting civilians while the people of Hamas and other terrorists deliberately hide and operate within the civilian population,’ he told a parliamentary session.
   At least 51 civilians, including children, have died as a result of the Israeli bombardment, a spokesman for the UN Palestinian refugee agency said.
   Among the latest deaths were five girls from the same family, aged from four to 17 years old, killed in an air raid that targeted a mosque near their home in Jabaliya, medics said.
   In all, the Israeli blitz, unleashed on Saturday in retaliation for ongoing rocket and mortar fire from Gaza, has killed at least 318 Palestinians and wounded more than 1,400 others, according to Gaza medics.
   Hamas militants remained defiant on Monday, firing nearly 40 rockets into Israel.
   One of the projectiles slammed into a construction site in the southern city of Ashkelon some 13 kilometres north of the Gaza border, killing an Israeli Arab and wounding eight more people.
   Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, whose forces were routed from Gaza when Hamas seized the territory in June 2007, implored the international community to help end the violence.
   ‘We call on the entire world to work to put an immediate stop to this aggression,’ he said.
   Amid mounting international concern over the humanitarian situation in the aid-dependent territory of 1.5 million that Israel allowed the delivery of 80 truckloads of food and medicine in the territory it has kept virtually sealed since the Hamas takeover.
   In another development, Turkey, one of Israel’s leading allies in the Muslim world, announced that it was ending efforts to organise peace talks between Israel and Syria.
   ‘The continuation of the talks under these conditions is naturally impossible,’ the Turkish foreign minister, Ali Babacan, told reporters after discussions with Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit.
   ‘To make war on the Israeli-Palestinian track and at the same time make peace on the Israeli-Syrian track — these two cannot go together,’ he said.
   Parliament in Jordan — one of two Arab countries to have signed a peace treaty with Israel — demanded that the government ‘reconsider’ relations with the Jewish state.
   Hamas, which is branded a terror group by Israel and the West, has lashed out at the world for not doing enough to end the blitz.
   Israel is ‘committing a holocaust as the whole world watches and doesn’t lift a finger to stop it,’ Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told reporters.
   The Islamists have warned they could resume suicide attacks against Israel for the first time since January 2005 to retaliate for the blitz.
   Since the start of the Israeli onslaught on Saturday, Gaza militants have fired more than 250 rockets and mortars into the Jewish state, killing two people and wounding nearly two dozen more.
   The Israeli offensive has sparked protests across the world, with demonstrations held in European capitals, Turkey, Egypt and Syria.
   At a rally in Tehran on Monday, thousands shouted ‘Down with Israel’ and ‘Down with the USA’ as they carried banners reading ‘We should all rise and destroy Israel.’
   Israel unleashed ‘Operation Cast Lead’ against Hamas in the middle of Saturday morning, with some 60 warplanes bombing more than 50 targets in just a few minutes.
   The Israeli blitz came after days of spiralling violence since the expiry of the Gaza truce. It comes less than two months before snap parliamentary elections in Israel called for February 10.

Voicing hopes that losers and winners would accept the results of the election, the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, cast his vote Monday looking ‘to a power handover soon’.
   ‘We are on the brink of fulfilling our goals,’ the chief adviser said of his outgoing caretaker government.
   ‘The process of power handover will end soon,’ he told reporters after casting his ballot at Gulshan Model High School centre in the city around 10:00am Monday.
   ‘Voting is going on peacefully across the country. We have waited for this day for the last two years.’
   Fakhruddin said he was ‘very happy’ to be able to cast his vote on the day.
   Expressing satisfaction with the election process, he said, ‘We hope this election will lead the country to a period of good governance to create a Bangladesh free of poverty and hunger.’

The European Union election observation mission chief, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, expressed his satisfaction at Monday’s electoral process, terming the initial counting a mark of ‘accuracy’ and ‘professionalism’ for credible polls of international standards.
   ‘I’m impressed with the accuracy and professionalism about ballot counting. If the trend continues thorough out the country, it would be highly satisfactory,’ he told reporters Monday evening after witnessing vote counting at the Curzon Hall in Dhaka University in the Dhaka 8 constituency.
   In reply to a query about polls credibility, he expressed his satisfaction about the peaceful polling environment and the outcome.
   Lambsdorff said, ‘If the elections results are credible, political parties should accept them to advance the country forward.’
   He told reporters he had similar information of peaceful situation across the country from the long-term EU observers.
   ‘We’ll not only observe the polling but also observe the counting of votes, and the consolidation and announcement of the results. Our observation is not over,’ Lambsdorff said after observing voting process and talking with election officials at the Suritola Primary School centre in Old Town of Dhaka.
   As for environment across the polling centres, he said, ‘People are voting without fear and intimidation.’
   As for allegations of buying votes and irregular practices by some election officials, Lambsdorff said people who have grievances can either make such allegations public with evidence or share them with the EU election observation mission. ‘We’ll look into evidence and make comments.’
   Asked if he had received any complaints from his long-term observers spanning across the country, he said there were some incidents which needed to be investigated.
   ‘We’re very thorough, in case of problems, and we’ll look into them on the basis of our methodology,’ said Lambsdorff.
   He, however said the important thing was to see whether the results had reflected the will of the people of Bangladesh.
   The European Union has deployed 150 observers across the country to monitor the elections and is scheduled to make their preliminary statement on December 31.
   The US ambassador in Dhaka, James F Moriarty, meanwhile on Monday visited several polling stations in the capital, including the Bangladesh International School, Gulshan Model School and Kabi Nazrul Islam School.

Flaws in the electoral rolls, national identity cards and voting arrangements, including setting up several polling centres on same compound and several polling booths in a room, and lack of awareness among the electorates in general and the women voters in particular, caused sufferings to the voters in Monday’s parliamentary polls.
   Hundreds of voters failed to cast votes across the country as their names could not be found on the electoral rolls though they carried their national ID cards.
   Many of them approached polling officers and law enforcers for help but the officials told them that they officials had nothing to do.
   A group of women voters also approached the chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, with complaints of hassles when he was visiting the Narayanganj Government Women’s College centre at about 12:20pm.
   The EC said, ‘I visited six centres and found problems in two relating to electoral rolls. I cannot offer a solution at the moment, but I think you are on the lists at some other centres.’
   Polling officials at different polling stations gave similar replies to the voters, who approached them with the complaints.
   Many voters, however, said that they went to the polling stations near their residences, but failed to cast votes as their names were missing from the lists. Many of them could not cast votes due to mismatch between the ID cards and electoral rolls.
   ‘I found my photograph with serial number 1,374, although I was earlier told that my number was different,’ said one Kabir Hossain at the MDC Model School centre in Dhaka 16 constituency, narrating his suffering.
   Rina Begum, a voter of Faidabad Government Primary High School centre at Azampur of Uttara in the city, said at around 11:30am that she came to the polling centre thrice from 8:30am with her voter serial number marked in slips provided by the BNP and the Awami League activists, but failed to cast vote. Many voters like her made similar complaints at the centre.
   ‘I have lost my interest in casting vote…Why the Election Commission’s voters’ listing is seen as a success when it causes sufferings to many,’ a voter was shouting in front of the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College centre at around 3:00pm.
   Moniruzzaman, a new voter, had to go back disappointed from Ananda Community Centre at the last hours of polling as polling officials could not help him in casting votes.
   Many voters carrying national ID cards, who failed to cast votes, staged demonstrations at several places, including in front of the polling centres at Dhanmondi Government Girls’ High School centre and the Tejgaon Polytechnic Institute centre.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Monday alleged that activists of candidates of rival Awami League had rigged vote by capturing polling centres, forcing out agents of BNP candidates and barring them from about 220 polling centres in 72 electoral constituencies across the country.
   The BNP-led alliance alleged that its complaints to the Election Commission over the vote rigging and irregularities had fallen on deaf ears.
   ‘We have complained to the Election Commission that activists of Awami League’s candidates rigged vote by capturing about 220 polling centres, forcing out agents of BNP candidates and blocking their entry to polling centres in about 72 electoral constituencies across the country’, BNP office secretary Rizvi Ahmed said at a press briefing at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office in Dhaka on Monday evening.
   He said that the AL activists had captured Adabar Hasmat Ullah Basti centre in Dhaka 13, polling centres at Rupnagar in Dhaka 16, ‘D block’ of the Ideal School centre in Dhaka 17, all centres in housing area in Comilla 6, Fakirmura, Ratanpur and Aganagar centres at Lalmai in Comilla 8, Jiterkandi and North Kaduabair centres in Comilla 11, Iqbalpur centre in Jamalpur 5, Kalipur Hatimia Madrassah centre in Chittagong 15, Golbahar, Hashempur, Tangaria and Shilasthan centres in Chandpur 1, and Khorlipur Keramatia Madrassah centre in Bhola 3 electoral constituencies. ‘The AL men stuffed ballot boxes in the centres’, he alleged.
   Rizvi said the AL activists had forced out agents of the BNP candidates at Ichali centre at Purbahil union in Gazipur 5, Ojangobinda Government Primary School centres at Brahmandi union and Srenibasdi centre at Mahmudpur in Narayanganj 2, Alamnagar centre in Brahmanbaria 5, Ishapur and Nayanpur centres in Lakshmipur 1 and Tarakandi Primary School centre in Kishoreganj 2 constituencies.
   Polling agents of BNP candidates were barred from entering Shalghar, Barakamta and Mohammadpur centres in Comilla 4 constituency, he said.
   He said Awami League activists had attacked and injured agents and activists of BNP candidates at Islamia Madrassah centre in Dhaka 7 and Narsingdi Women’s College centre in Narsingdi 1 constituencies.
   He alleged that the presiding officers at Khayertal School, Dhaka Road Government Primary School, Raipur Primary School and Shebasangha centres in Jessore 3 had openly worked for Awami League candidates.
   A delegation of the BNP-led alliance on Monday evening met with the chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, at his office and complained that the commission failed to check irregularities in the polls.
   ‘We earlier complained to the Election Commission that a section of the administration was working for the Awami League. But it turned a deaf ear’, BNP joint secretary general Mirza Abbas told reporters after meeting with the CEC. ‘We told him that the commission had failed to check irregularities in the polls.’
   Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s assistant secretary general Abdul Kader Mollah accompanied Abbas.

Over 80 per cent of about 1.70 crore first-time voters Monday exercised their franchise amid huge enthusiasm with a high hope of real change in the country.
   The turnout of the new voters, both girls and boys, in every polling centre of the city was remarkable and their presence, poll observers said, would be well above 80 per cent.
   According to polling officer of Motijheel Colony Club Iqbal Hossain, the turnout of young female voters at his centre was nearly 70 per cent of the total voters while their male counterparts nearly 85 per cent.
   The new voters, considered as the deciding-factor in the crucial general election, were seen heading towards polling centres with much excitement since morning and their abuzz presence in queues was there till completion of the voting.
   ‘It’s a memorable day for me as I cast my vote for the first time in my life. I may cast vote many times in the future but it’s special to me,’ Russell, a Dhaka University student told the news agency, at Kathalbagan Khan Hasan Govt Primary School with a flashing smile.
   Among the fresh voters there were also some who looked confused about choosing candidates.
   ‘I’m still confused whom should I vote for, as I don’t know them well and none of them is actually from our constituency,’ said Prova, a private university student standing in a long queue on T&T School compound at Moghbazar.
   Prova dreams of a country where there will be no corruption and terrorism. ‘We want to see those people in parliament who have no bad reputation of corruption.’
   She went on: ‘It’s corruption that has brought down the country to its knees. Our country can make rapid progress if we can rid it of the vice.’
   At some places young couples wearing colourful dresses were seen going to polling centres in rickshaws and standing in queues with excitement to excise their voting rights for the first time.
   Most of the young voters said they came to vote with a hope that the new government would work for eliminating corruption, terrorism and poverty from the country.
   They hope that the new government would emphasise creating employment opportunities for the young people.
   Ishita, a student of North South University, said: ‘I expect that the next government will learn from the January 11 changeover and work for the country’s quick progress by curbing corruption and ensuring security of the people.
   Nian, a student of Asia Pacific University, suggested that the new government should concentrate on development of the educational sector as a top priority.

The Saudi labour minister, Ghazi al-Gosaibi, has warned against growing racism among Saudis towards the millions of foreign workers in the kingdom, mainly domestics, media reports said on Monday.
   Gosaibi told senior labour ministry officials on Sunday that the country should treat foreign workers better, protect their rights and not succumb to racism, local newspapers reported.
   ‘Regrettably, we have become overwhelmed by arrogance and even racism, and we have begun to imagine that we are better than those who have come to share in shouldering the burden of development,’ he said.
   ‘We should not be arrogant or racist towards those who came to serve us in our homes after we used to do everything ourselves,’ Gosaibi said of reported maltreatment of domestic workers, who reportedly number around 1.5 million.
   Foreign workers have a huge presence throughout the kingdom, estimated at more than eight million altogether in a country with a native population of over 17 million.
   Mainly Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, Indonesians and Bangladeshis, foreigners work in everything from construction and as household domestics to nursing, as shop attendants, programmers and business managers.
   Ghosaibi told officials their job is to protect such workers’ rights, prevent mistreatment of foreigners and protect Saudi Arabia’s reputation.
   ‘When a foreigner came here to work in the past, we treated him with deference because he was either a doctor we asked to treat us, a teacher from whom we sought knowledge or an accountant we asked to watch over our business.
   ‘But today this picture has changed. We look at them like they have come to rob us or to corrupt our society and spread criminality, even though it is us who have brought them here,’ he said.
   The minister’s comments came amid controversy over a privately financed television and newspaper advertising campaign promoting respect for foreign maids, drivers and other low-wage workers.
   The ‘Mercy’ campaign confronts Saudis with images of ugly treatment of their hired help — not paying them regularly, not giving them time off and even treating them like animals.
   Some Saudis have complained that the public service ad campaign, by Jeddah-based advertising company FullStop, gives the country a bad image.

At least four BNP workers were allegedly wounded in an attack by Awami League activists at Hazaribagh in the capital on Monday evening.
   The injured were Touhidul Islam Shaon, Muslim, Halim and Jamal. They all were given treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
   Locals said the supporters of BNP candidate Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and Awami League contender Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin locked in an altercation over counting of votes at the Hazaribagh High School polls centre in the Dhaka-7 constituency before the end of schedule time for polling.
   Later, the row between the activists of the two rival candidates was settled up shortly.
   After the vote counting, AL activists brought out a victory procession, led by one Sumon, in the evening.
   The BNP men sustained injuries when the AL activists swooped on the supporters of BNP while passing by the BNP’s election camp at Nilambar Saha Road.