Quader explains 5 reasons for poor voter turnout in city polls

Ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader has highlighted five reasons for the poor voter turnout at the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) elections held on Thursday.

He said it was a holiday, many of the voters had left the city to go home, a large political party did not take part in the election, it had rained at the beginning of the day, and it was actually a by-election. All of this resulted in thin presence of voters at the polling centres.

Referring to the voter turnout in Thursday’s mayoral election, Quader also said there was a larger turnout this time than there was in the 2001 election where Sadeq Hossain Khoka was elected mayor.

Obaidul Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was addressing the media at a press conference at the Awami League president’s political office in Dhanmondi, Dhaka on Friday.

"The BNP was calculative in deciding whether or not to participate in the polls. They had joined the city corporation polls in the past and won in four. It didn’t make a shattering difference. There are ups and downs in politics. Today we may be in power, tomorrow we may not be," he said.

"No one should arrogantly expect to remain forever at the helm."

The AL general secretary also said that BNP’s condition would deteriorate further if they continue to boycott elections and this would have an impact on their performance in the next parliamentary polls.