80pc votes cast in 11th JS polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda today expressed his satisfaction over the 11th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections and said some 80 percent votes were cast in the December 30 polls.

“A total of 10.41 crore voters got opportunity to vote in the parliament elections this year. . . 80 per cent of the votes were cast during the polls,” the CEC told a press conference at the Nirbachan Bhaban at city’s Agargaon this afternoon.

The CEC also expressed his condolences over the deaths of 14 people across the country during the polls.

The Election Commission (EC) has so far declared the results of 298 constituencies with Bangladesh Awami League winning 259 seats, Jatiya Party 20, BNP 5, Gano Forum 2, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh 2, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) 2, Workers Party of Bangladesh 3, Tarikat Federation 1, Jatiya Party (Manju) 1 and Independent candidates 3.

The CEC said the EC could not announce the final results of the 11th parliament elections as polling had been suspended in three centers of Brahmanbaria-3 constituency.

Besides, the EC had announced fresh schedule for Gaibandha-3 constituency due to the death of a candidate, he said, adding that the vote of the constituency will be held on January 27.

Apart from this, the polling of 16 centers across the country have been postponed.

Huda said the whole nation has celebrated the polls day in a festive mood, saying that not only the local media, but also the foreign media highlighted the news of the 11th parliament polls.

The government took all the necessary steps in order to make the elections free, fair and violence free, said the CEC.

Replying to a query on Oikyafront’s demand for reelection due to the allegations of massive irregularities in polls centers, the CEC said, “There is no scope to hold the election again.”

He told another questioner that they did not yet receive any written allegations of vote rigging by any political parties.

Election Commissioners Mahbub Talukder, Md Rafiqul Islam, Brigadier General Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury (retd), Begum Kabita Khanam and EC secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed, among others, were present.