Bangladesh General Elections: Country Registers Low Voters Turnout Amid Boycott by Opposition BNP | Key Updates

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal after the polls said that according to the initial estimates, the voter turnout was around 40 per cent but the figure could change after the final count.

Written by: Victor Dasgupta Edited by: Victor Dasgupta

Published: January 7, 2024, 7:53 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/news/world/bangladesh-general-elections-country-registers-low-voters-turnout-amid-boycott-by-opposition-bnp-key-updates-6639423/ Copy

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh General Elections: Amid sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition party BNP and its allies, Bangladeshis turned up in low numbers to cast their votes for the general elections. According to the reports, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to return to power for a fourth straight term.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal after the polls said that according to the initial estimates, the voter turnout was around 40 per cent but the figure could change after the final count.

Bangladesh General Elections 2024: Here are some of the key updates

• An hour before the voting ended, the election commission had said that the voter turnout was 27.15% at 3 p.m.
• The 2018 general election recorded an overall turnout of more than 80 per cent.
• “The voting ended at 4 pm and the counting has started,” an election commission spokesman said, adding that the results were expected by early Monday.
• Some sporadic incidents of violence, the voting was largely peaceful in 299 of the 300 constituencies.
• The Commission suspended polling in one seat because of the death of a candidate.
• The Commission cancelled the candidature of a ruling Awami League candidate in northeastern Chattogram at the fag-end of the voting hours as he “scolded and threatened” a police officer.
• The development left the polls in the constituency to be contested by two rebel candidates who belong to the ruling party as well.
• The voter turnout was low as the ailing jailed ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) stayed away from the polls asking people to boycott it.
• The usual election-day fervour was nowhere to be seen.
• Even in front of the election campaign booths, there was no presence of voters except the ruling party-backed supporters and election agents.
• Voters cast their votes without any disruption in the absence of long queues, leaving presiding officers with idle time.

Voting was cancelled at three centres — one in Narsingdi and two in Narayanganj. The Election Commission ordered the arrest of Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun’s son on charges of electoral fraud in Narsingdi, according to reports.

Shots were fired during a clash between supporters of two candidates running for the Chattogram-10 seat. Two people Shanto Barua, 24, and Jamal, 35 were shot and taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital.