General election was free, fair: CEC

DE Online Desk
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday said that Bangladesh’s 12th general election ended on the day in a free and fair manner and it would be known in a short time whether the national polls would be acceptable.
Addressing a press conference at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka in the evening, the CEC said that on an average 40 per cent votes were cast nationally.
He said that this election proved that election could be free and fair under a partisan government. ‘The government helped to make it possible.’
He said that no severe electoral violence was reported across the country but some irregularities were reported and actions were taken based on the allegations. ‘None died of electoral violence so far but two election officials died of illness, candidacy of one cancelled, voting in seven centres was suspended,’ he said.
‘It is our success that we could hold the election without violence. We tried to make it free and fair,’ the CEC claimed.
Voting in the country’s general election continued between 8:00am and 4:00pm without any break amid boycotted by opposition political parties.