Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has said over 30% of votes were cast in the second phase of upazila parishad election held in 156 upazilas in different parts of the country simultaneously on Tuesday.

He said people are not coming to vote in upazila elections as a large party boycotted and discouraged voting.

CEC made this remark to reporters after the polling of the second phase of upazila elections on Tuesday (May 21).

The second phase of the sixth upazila parishad election was held in 156 upazilas across the country.

Election experts attributed fears of another potential low turnout to a general apathy towards the electoral process, as evidenced by the 36 percent voter turnout in the first phase of upazila polls on May 8, the lowest since 2009, when it was 70.57 percent.

The battle of ballots will take place among the independents, mostly from the ruling Awami League, as other political parties have not fielded any candidates.

The BNP, among other parties, is staying away from the polls, as it did in the January 7 election, saying that the incumbent Election Commission is not capable of holding the elections for local government bodies in a free and fair manner.

BDST: 1823 HRS, MAY 21, 2024
MSK