Youth held trying to steal ballot papers in Kushtia, jailed for 3 years

A youth identified as Shahin Malitha, 28, has been detained by police while attempting to flee after stealing ballot papers from a polling centre in the Kushtia-2 (Mirpur) constituency. A mobile court subsequently sentenced him to three years' rigorous imprisonment and fined him Tk 1,000. He was ordered to serve an additional 15 days in prison in default of paying the fine.

Mirpur Upazila Executive Officer and Assistant Returning Officer Nazmul Islam confirmed the information. The convict is the son of late Abdul Malitha of Nauda Gobindapur village in the upazila.

Nazmul Islam said Shahin Malitha attempted to leave the Talbaria High School polling centre around 8:45 am on Thursday after submitting a blank white paper instead of depositing the ballot paper in the designated box. Suspicious duty personnel detained him. He subsequently confessed to his offence, following which the concerned judicial magistrate, through a mobile court, handed down the aforementioned sentence.