Gaibandha Representative/

After a year and a half, the police recovered 100 ballot papers from Silmara union parishad election center of Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha.

On Sunday, Sundarganj Police Officer-in-Charge KM Azmiruzzaman confirmed the recovery of the ballot paper and said that the recovered Silmara ballot paper has been seized as per the law. Necessary action will be taken after thorough investigation.

One hundred Silmara ballots were recovered under the lock mark of UP member Chaidar Rahman from under the carpet laid under the office table of Kendra Khudiram Government Primary School of Ward No. 5 of Shantiram Union of Upazila. Chaidar Rahman was defeated by seven votes less than incumbent UP member Jahedul Islam.

It is known that while changing the carpet of the office room of school peon Osman Gani yesterday on Saturday, Silmara found one hundred ballot papers under the table. The peon reported the matter to Uttam Kumar Sarkar, acting headmaster of the school. The headmaster immediately informed the matter to the police administration and election officer. At night, police station officer-in-charge (OC) KM Azmiruzzaman and police inspector of Dhubani Kanchibari investigation center Islam Hossain accompanied by the force arrived at the spot and seized one hundred ballot papers in front of the witnesses. UP member candidate Chaidur Rahman said that the officials responsible for the election hid the Silmara ballot paper in his lock and defeated me and won the current UP member Zahedul Islam. He demanded fair trial subject to investigation.

Current UP member Jahedul Islam said that according to the result sheet of the presiding officer, he is an elected UP member. He did not comment beyond that.

The presiding officer of that center, the former agricultural extension officer of the upazila, AKM Faridul Haque, said that the election was completed in that center. After the counting of votes as per rules, the result sheets have been provided to the agents of all the candidates. He did not comment on the recovered ballot papers.

Shantiram Union’s returning officer and upazila fisheries officer Tarikul Islam Sabu said that the union council election was completed on November 28, 2021. The recovery of the Silmara ballot paper from under the carpet of the office room of the central organization after almost one and a half years seems mysterious to him.

Sundarganj Upazila Election Officer Sekender Ali said that this is now the work of the Thana Police. The police will investigate and inform the election office. Then necessary action will be taken.