The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bdnews24.com, Chandpur

Chandpur police retrieved 300 abandoned ballot counterfoils from a ditch close to Chandpur Akkas Ali Government Primary School yesterday.

Chandpur Sadar Model Police Station sub-inspector Monir Ahmed told bdnews24.com Jihad, 15, a seventh-grade student of the Chandpur Akkas Ali Government Primary School went playing cricket with his friends in the morning in the school ground shared by both schools.

As Jihad attempted to retrieve the ball they had perhaps dropped into the ditch beside the primary school, he chanced upon a packet of ballot counterfoils buried under a pile of brickbats there.

Jihad informed everyone nearby of the incident. The locals then informed the police, who seized the finds on the spot upon inspection.

The counterfoils are parts of ballots numbering 0226901 to 0227001of book no. 2270, 0228001 to 0228100 of book 2264 and 0226301 to 0226400 of an unidentified coverless book.

Nurul Islam Nizami, additional deputy commissioner and police superintendent Krishnapada Roy of Chandpur told bdnews24.com they had inspected the place of occurrence and ordered an enquiry.

Punitive measures will be taken against those responsible for the offence, they said.

District BNP acting president Safiuddin Ahmed told bdnews24.com the recovery proved that his party was made to concede defeat through a stage-managed polls, a blueprint of which had been made earlier.

More of these piles of counterfoils might be found countrywide if a thorough search was carried out, Safiuddin said.

Chandpur district Awami League vice-president Yousuf Gazi told bdnews24.com the matter, under investigation by the administration, was a conspiracy.