Election can’t be called participatory: Mahbub Talukdar

After observing three polling centers at Savar pourashava (municipality) election, election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar said the election was not participatory.

No election can be accepted if that is not participatory, Mahbub Talukdar told journalists at his office in Agargaon on Saturday.

The commissioner said he visited 18 booths in three polling centers at Savar. As of 1:00pm, a total of 1,232 voters out of 7,311 cast their ballots in those centers.

Mahbub said opposition candidate’s three polling agents were present in 3 polling booths but no agents were found in other booths.

The election commissioner also said he did not see any poster of the candidate of the opposition party in Savar pourashava area.

“You can’t call this election participatory,” Mahbub said observing that the incidents of violence are increasing in pourashava polls.

He said violence and election cannot take place simultaneously. Incidents of violence cannot be curbed if the electoral process is not reformed. Consensus among all quarters is needed in this regard.