Voter turnout estimated to be 40%: CEC

The average voter turnout across the country is so far estimated to be 40% in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) polls, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said this evening (7 January).

However, the Election Commission [EC] is yet to collect 100% data from all the polling centres across the country, he said this while briefing reporters in the Nirbachan Bhaban.

'The percentages of votes cast may fall or go up after we have processed all the data," he said.

As of 3:00pm, the voter turnout stood at 27.15%, before voting concluded at 4:00pm, according to EC data.

The 40% voter turnout estimate, if it eventually lands below 40.04%, would make it the second lowest in the country's electoral history after the controversial February 1996 elections, which saw a turnout of only 26.74%.

The 12th parliamentary election was held under the Awami League government across the country on Sunday amid a hartal and a polls boycott call of the opposition BNP and its allies with the demand for holding the elections under a non-partisan caretaker government.

The CEC said there was a fear of violence and low presence of voters due to pre-poll violence, including setting fire to voting centres and trains, but many people exercised their rights to franchise freely and willingly.

He acknowledged that attempts of vote rigging in some places but he said they recovered some ballot papers from some boxes without having signature of the presiding officer. He assured that those ballot papers will be excluded while calculation of votes.

The CEC stated that immediate action was taken in the case of irregularities.

"We won't say we have done very well. But we have tried our best to conduct free, fair and impartial elections as much as possible," the CEC claimed.

"Some cases of irregularities in the elections came to our attention. Those involved in several irregularities were arrested. Polling in some centres were closed and a candidate's candidacy was cancelled at the last moment of voting," he told the media.

Speaking about the irregularities during the polls, he said, "We have not received any complaints except two or four about the behaviour of the administration or the police," adding that the individuals in question have been transferred.

Awal also said 90% of the ballot papers were sent to the constituencies by morning, while remote areas received the papers last night. He also said the media covered the election expertly.

Replying to another question on the credibility of the election, Awal said, "Whether the election will be credible or not, can be understood after the final results are published. We will not say that."

"We will be able to tell whether the election was credible or not based on what the public says and how it is represented in the media," he stated while speaking on international recognition of the polls.

In an immediate reaction after he cast his vote and visiting some poll centres in the capital early yesterday, Awal said he saw absence of polling agents of candidates other than those of Awami League.