Voter turnout not more than 30pc: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda has said the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations were fair.

He, however, said he does not know the percentage of vote cast in the elections to Dhaka North City Corporations (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporations (DSCC) that took place on Saturday. "But it (turnout) won't be more than 30 per cent."

The CEC was talking to newsmen while leaving the Nirbachan Bhaban office in the city's Agargaon area on Saturday evening.

He said no one filed complaint about throwing them out of the polling centres. The agents are responsible for going to the polling stations, he added.

The CEC said agents of both the Awami League and the BNP were present at the centre he cast his vote.

He also claimed that no one cast the vote of another person.

Responding to a question about an allegation of casting vote by others after registering one in a polling booth, CEC Nurul Huda said he did not get any complaint in this regard.

He further claimed that the voters who went to the polling centres did not return home without exercising their franchise rights.

The CEC said he will not resign following the demand of Islami Andolan Bangladesh that alleged the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations were not free and fair.

There was no scope of stuffing ballot as the election was held with electronic voting machines (EVMs). But many people alleged they could not cast their vote. Instead, the voters were forced to vote to a specific electoral symbol.

Prothom Alo correspondents saw various types of irregularities in the elections. Many agents of BNP-backed mayoral and councillor candidates were not allowed to enter the polling centres. Whereas leaders and activists of the ruling party were present everywhere, the BNP men could not even stay near the centres.