74pc votes cast in 1st phase UP polls: EC

A total of 74 percent votes have been casted in the first phase of Union Parishad (UP) polls that ended on Tuesday, said the Election Commission (EC).

After receiving and combining all poll information, EC Secretary Md. Sirajul Islam informed reporters about the vote statistics at the EC Secretariat in Dhaka’s Agargaon on Wednesday.

“Yesterday’s voting was ended in free, fair and credible manner across the country except Satkhira district. Law and order situations were also favourable,” said the EC Secretary.   

Satkhira’s Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Officer-in-Charges of different police stations under the district have been summoned for explaining about the anomalies during polls, he said.

About killings in violence, he said, “They were attempting to snatch the ballot papers and attacked the law enforcers while vote counting was underway. So, the law enforcers were forced to open fire to protect their lives and properties."
 

Voting in 712 Union Parishads (UPs) in 37 districts of the country ended at 4:00pm on Tuesday amid various irregularities and sporadic violence that left around 10 people dead and more than 600 injured.

As many as 14 political parties out of 40 registered ones, including ruling Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party (JP), participated in the first phase polls held along the party lines for the first time, although only for the chairman post.

Most of the winners in the first phase UP polls for the chairman post are Awami League blessed candidates.

On the other hand, Awami League’s archrival BNP demanded that most of the polling centers were under the claw of the terrorists.