Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has said they will disclose the voter turnout rate across the country after every two hours on the polling day, in an effort to ensure a credible election.
He made the disclosure while talking to the media in Mymensingh on Sunday, following separate closed-door meetings with the law enforcement agencies and electoral candidates in the district.
If the presiding officers manage to maintain their authority, the OCs and UNOs will not be able to do anything
“The voter turnout rate will be announced after every two hours on the polling day. If it shows a 30 per cent turn out in a certain area at 2:00 pm and it rises to 90 per cent at 3:00 pm, the voting will not be credible,” he said.
Earlier, he addressed the meeting to exchange views with field level members of law enforcement agencies as the chief guest.
Ommey Salma Tanzia, divisional commissioner of Mymensingh, presided over the meeting, attended by, among others, Jahangir Alam, secretary of the Election Commission (EC), and Shah Abid Hossain, deputy inspector general (DIG) of the police’s Mymensingh range.
The CEC also held a meeting with the candidates of 11 constituencies in Mymensingh at the Zila Parishad auditorium, before the meeting with law enforcers.
The CEC requested to pay no heed to aberrant campaigns that votes cast for a symbol will reach another one and assured that any type of rigging at a station will lead to suspension of voting. If necessary, voting will take place at a centre for 10 times
Briefing the media about the meetings, CEC Kazi Habibul Awal said the candidates of Mymensingh did not raise any complaint of untoward incidents over the election. Still, there are some allegations of tearing apart the rival candidates’ posters and campaigning that all the votes will eventually reach a certain symbol irrespective of the voters’ selection in the polling booths.
“But no such incident will take place. If a single vote is rigged at a polling station, we will suspend voting there. Please don’t believe any aberrant campaign that votes cast for a symbol will reach another one. The voting will take place in a fair and transparent manner. Any type of rigging at a station will lead to suspension of voting. If necessary, voting will take place at a centre even for 10 times,” he assured.
Regarding the recent reshuffle in police and administration, Kazi Habibul Awal said they reshuffled the officers-in-charge (OCs) and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) en masse and are still doing so in cases of complaints.
“OCs or UNOs can do nothing at the polling stations. On the polling day, there will be a game among the candidates. If the presiding officers manage to maintain their authority, the OCs and UNOs will not be able to do anything,” he added.
The CEC also reminded the media about their crucial role in the election, saying, “You will spread the right news on the polling day and the people will believe it. The voting will not be fair merely by the certificate of mine.”