Monday’s elections to 160 union parishads and nine municipalities were fair apart from deaths reported from two centres at Maheshkhali and Kutubdia, Election Commission (EC) Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandakar has claimed.
“From the information we have gathered, we think that the election was fair,” he told reporters at the EC office in the city.
Incidents of violence, including clashes, gunfights and a bomb blast, marred the elections, which had earlier been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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At least three deaths were reported due to polls related violence across the country.
Responding to queries on the violence in Kutubdia and Maheshkhali, he said that the incidents were deeply regrettable.
However, the law enforcers took steps at the behest of the presiding officers, he added.
He said that unidentified men had entered the polling centre in Kutubdia and tried to snatch away ballot papers from the presiding officer. The law enforcers opened fire to control the situation.
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He added that polling had been suspended in five centres due to irregularities.
The EC official said voter turnout was at least 50% in the UP polls where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used.
On the other hand, over 55% of voters cast ballots in the municipality polls and over 65% at centres where ballots were used.
