Chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday expressed his satisfaction over the upazila parishad elections saying that the elections were held peacefully.
The CEC came up with the remark after polls at the last 19 upazilas ended on the day. The commission concluded polls to 469 upazilas across the country in four phases starting from May 8.
Though the CEC expressed his satisfaction, at least seven people were killed and seven hundred were injured in clashes in pre-poll, poll-time and post-poll violence.
On Sunday, elections held at 19 upazilas as the polls were postponed due to cyclone Remal hit in Bangladesh on June 4.
鈥楾he elections were peaceful. The role played by the administration and the police is commendable. They strictly followed our instructions,鈥� the CEC said while talking to reporters at Nirbachon Bhaban in Dhaka on Sunday.
He said that during Sunday鈥檚 elections, six people were arrested, including two polling officers, for their involvement in irregularities.
鈥楽ome unpleasant things happen. Money is transacted. We also get reports of unethical money transactions. These are the facts. We will try to overcome them and finally we will discuss how to fix it. But in overall, I think the election was peaceful,鈥� he said.
Regarding the low voter turnout, he said, 鈥楶olitically, there was no widespread participation. When there is widespread political participation, voter enthusiasm increases鈥�.. And it is the candidate鈥檚 responsibility to bring the voters to the polling center.鈥�
In the elections, voters turnout out was below 40 per cent.
The CEC, however, claimed that the turnout was 43.91 per cent in the Sunday鈥檚 election to 19 upazilas.
Most opposition parties including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted the elections while the ruling Awami League did not nominate any candidate as party鈥檚 official candidate.
As a result, a large number of family members and close followers of AL lawmakers and ministers contested the polls ignoring party instructions.