Bangladesh News

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday announced it will have judicial enquiry into allegations of electoral irregularities in 11 more upazilas, raising the number of such local bodies to 18.

Earlier, it asked the law ministry to consult the Supreme Court for judicial probe into polls in seven upazilas.

Speaking at his first press briefing since January 22 upazila elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said, “We’ll take decisions on the upazilas in question on the basis of probe findings. And it all might take a month and half.”

The EC will also open enquiry into eight allegations against election officials. The decisions come on scrutiny of 50 complaints alleging irregularities in the January 22 upazila polls.

Besides, he said, the work on gazettes with election results of 446 upazila parishads is almost complete.

Of the remaining upazilas, six saw polls suspended before January 22 due to violence and irregularities. Voting at 21 polling stations in nine upazilas was called off on the election day for violence.

The fate of elections to two other upazilas–Ajemeriganj of Habiganj and Daudkandi of Comilla–will be decided by the High Court.

In a marked departure from his election day reactions, Huda yesterday said, “Overall, the polls were satisfactory.”

Immediately after the balloting closed, he expressed dissatisfaction over ‘low’ voter turnout and interference from ruling party lawmakers including a minister. He also said the EC would investigate the reasons for the ‘low’ attendance of voters.

Reminded of his earlier remarks, the polls chief said those were premature. “Before making the comments, I should have taken into account the overall situation.”

He said the information from some upazilas where the atmosphere was not conducive to free and fair voting might have prompted that kind of reaction.

“Perhaps, we were influenced to make those comments. The peaceful conduct of election in the northern districts did not come up in the media,” the CEC said.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain however stuck to his earlier comment. He said, “I’d still say the turnout was low. I made the comment after visiting some polling centres in Gazipur where the presence of voters was indeed very poor.”

The EC yesterday disclosed that total turnout in the polls was 68.32 percent.

The CEC said people did not come out like they did in December 29 general election maybe because the upazila elections were held without much of a gap with the parliamentary polls.

Queried about 11 allegations of violation of the electoral code of conduct, the CEC said the EC can do nothing about the allegations now that the election is over.

On 10 complaints of concealing information in the affidavits by candidates elected chairmen, he said the EC will pursue the issue, and ask the LGRD ministry to remove those who would be found guilty.

The EC also received an allegation that army personnel played biased role in one upazila. Huda said they have referred the matter to the army headquarters for actions.

Similarly, an allegation against the police was sent to the police headquarters.

RESULTS SUSPENDED

According to the EC’s decision, judicial enquiries will be launched into elections to Madarganj of Jamalpur, Ishwarganj of Mymensingh, Gafargaon of Mymensingh, Atpara of Netrakona, Pakundia of Kishoreganj, Madaripur sadar, Jagannathpur of Sunamganj, Chandina of Comilla, Raypura of Laxmipur, Harinakunda of Jhenidah, and Chhagalnaiya of Feni.

The CEC said the enquiry would be confined to chairman election in some upazilas while in others election to all three posts–chairman and two vice chairmen–will be investigated.

Earlier, the EC suspended election results in seven upazilas–Muradnagar of Comilla, Banchharampur of Brahmanbaria, Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar, Araihazar of Narayanganj, Kaliganj of Gazipur, Mehendiganj of Barisal and Raypura of Narsingdi.

VOTER TURNOUTS

In the upazila election, the average voter turnout of Rajshahi division was 77.67 percent against 90.42 in parliamentary polls, Khulna division 75.50 percent in upazila against 90.43 percent in parliamentary election, Barisal division 67.95 percent in upazila against 84.17 in parliamentary polls, Dhaka division 68.38 in upazila against 84.61 in parliamentary polls, Sylhet 70.44 against 84.87 in parliamentary elections and Chittagong 65.66 in upazila polls against 82.60 percent in the parliamentary elections.

The average turnout of voter in parliamentary election was 86.34 while the upazila election recorded 68.32 percent.

In the January 22 upazila parishad elections, the highest turnout of voters was in Kalai of Joypurhat. As many as 92.57 percent voter of the upazila cast vote against the highest turnout of 94.89 percent in Rajshahi-5 constituency in the parliamentary elections.

Khetlal upazila of Joypurhat recorded 92.14 percent, Bholahat of Chapainawabganj 92.01 percent, Durgapur of Rajshahi 90.46 percent, Gomostapur of Chapainawabganj 89.80 percent, Mohonpur of Rajshahi 89.64 percent, Nachol of Chapainawabganj 89.27 percent, Autoary of Panchagarh 88.96 percent, Mujib Nagar of Meherpur 88.49 percent and Haripur of Thakurgaon 88.08 percent voters cast their vote.

The lowest turnout of voters was in Savar of Dhaka recorded 39.28 percent, Chhagalnaiya of Feni 40.89 percent, Rupganj of Narayanganj 41.15 percent, Narayanganj Sadar 42.42 percent, Gazipur Sadar 42.85 percent, Charfashion of Bhola 44.67 percent of voters cast their vote.