By-polls in 6 constituencies saw 15-25% turnout: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal has said the average voter turnout in the by-elections to six constituencies – vacated by BNP leaders following their resignation in December – may be 15-25%.

"Voter turnout was relatively low in the by-polls. Approximately 15-25% voters cast vote. It is our assumption, but not final. We have to wait a little more for that," he said in a media briefing at the Election Commission Building in Agargaon on Wednesday.

The CEC also claimed that no significant evidence of irregularities or rigging was found in the voting of six constituencies. 

"The polling in six constituencies was peaceful and fair," he said.

The CEC said 40 candidates are contesting in six constituencies. Voting was held through 867 EVMs and the number of voters in six constituencies was 22.54 lakh. 

Voting in the by-polls to the six parliamentary seats — hakurgaon-3, Bogura-4 and 6, Chapainawabganj-2, 3 and Brahmanbaria-2 — was held today amid some stray incidents.

The voting began at 8:30 am and continued till 4:30 pm. 

Some 1,100 police have been deployed at the polling stations while four platoons of BGB members, nine teams of RAB, nine mobile teams of police, and four striking teams were also performing their duties to maintain the law and order situation.

The government announced a public holiday on Wednesday in the election areas on the occasion of the by-elections.

Earlier on 10 December 2022 at a public rally, parliamentarians of BNP announced their resignation from the JS. The next day, on 11 December, Chapainawabganj-2 lawmaker Md Aminul Islam, Bogura-4 lawmaker Md Mosharraf Hossain, Bogura-6 lawmaker Golam Mohammad Siraj, and Thakurgaon-3 lawmaker Zahidur Rahman resigned.

Two other BNP lawmakers — Advocate Abdus Sattar of Brahmanbaria-2 constituency and Harun-or-Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3 — resigned later.