20pc of votes cast in first three hours of Cumilla city election

At least 20 per cent of the voters cast their ballots during the first three hours of Cumilla city polls, according to an estimate by Cumilla Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Kamrul Hasan.

Although heavy rains affected voter turnout in the morning, Kamrul is hopeful that the situation will improve as the day passes, reports bdnews24.com. 

More than 215,000 voters in the constituency are expected to cast their ballots through Electronic Voting Machines. There are five contestants for the mayoral post, 106 for general councillor seats and 36 for councillors in reserved seats.

At least 10 people have been sentenced to varying terms by a mobile court after they were found guilty of attempting to influence the election, Kamrul said. 

"The overall voting environment is very good. Voters are casting their ballots amid a festive atmosphere.

"One man has been sentenced to three months of rigorous imprisonment for trying to cast a fake vote.”

In 2017, during the last Cumilla city polls, 60 per cent of the voters turned up to cast their ballots.