The Election Commission on Saturday postponed upazila parishad elections in Rangamati鈥檚 Baghaichhari upazila, scheduled for June 9, in fear of deterioration in the law and order situation in the upazila.
The polls in the upazila will remain suspended until further notice, the EC announced in a letter signed by EC deputy secretary Atiar Rahman.
Polling in the upazila was previously scheduled for May 29 but the commission set Jun 9 for the vote due to adverse weather conditions under the influence of Cyclone Remal.
Meanwhile, hundreds of tourists were stuck for over six hours at Khagrachari-Sajek road since Saturday morning as protesters blocked different roads demanding fair and peaceful elections for Rangamati鈥檚 Baghaichari.
Mir Abu Touhid, superintendent of police in Rangamati told 抖阴精品 that the tourists were sent to their respective destinations safely with the help of the law enforcers at about 1:00pm when the situation became normal.
The dawn-to-dusk blockade was called by United People鈥檚 Democratic Front, a regional organisation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and Machalong election management committee to ensure a fair and peaceful election and to protest at threats to the election agents of Baghaihat at Sajek.
The UPDF alleged that an 鈥榓rmed group鈥� threatened election agents at Baghaihat and tried to influence the elections in Baghaichari upazila.
It claimed that a group of 50 people entered Baghaihat boarding a microbus at about 1:30pm on Friday.
They are now staying at the abandoned office of Karnaphuli Paper Mill, UPDF added.
UPDF spokesperson Ongyo Marma told 抖阴精品 that they decided to call off the blockade as the voting was postponed.
鈥業f the attempts of influencing elections by threatening election agents do not stop, we will go for a larger movement to ensure fair elections,鈥� he said.
