40pc votes cast in election: CEC

Some 40% votes were cast in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal.

The CEC disclosed the percentage of voters’ turnout while addressing a press conference held at Nirbachan Commission Bhaban at Agargaon in the capital on Sunday afternoon.

He said the final count of percentage has not yet been concluded. “However, according to the information we have received so far, 40 percent votes have been cast. It may rise further, or may not rise anymore.”

Habibul Awal said, “A major political party tried to refrain voters boycotting the election. That is why voters’ turnout was somewhat low. In some cases, seals were put on the ballots. We have caught those votes which will be deducted from the final count because those ballots did not have seal or sign on the rear side.”

Brigadier General (Retd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan, Begum Rasheda Sultana, Md Alamgir, Anisur Rahman and EC secretary Md Jahangir Alam were present.

Earlier, Election Commission Secretary Jahangir Alam said 25% votes were cast in Dhaka, 27% in Chattogram, 32% in Khulna, 22% in Sylhet, 29% in Mymensingh, 26% in Rajshahi, 26% in Rangpur and 31% in Barishal till 3:00pm.

Voting was held at 299, out of 300 constituencies on Sunday. There were a total of 11,96,91,633 voters in the election. Of them, 6,07,71,579 were male, 5,89,19,202 female, and 852 transgender. There were 42,103 polling centres, while 2,61,912 polling booths across the country.