No ballots cast at seven polling centres

Seven polling centres in Sylhet, Sirajganj, Feni, Bogra and Cox's Bazar registered a zero turnout in the general elections.

The Opposition's transport blockades and shutdowns coupled with attacks and clashes at various polling stations apparently discouraged a large number of people to come out to exercise their franchise.

Not a single vote was cast at the Ramdhana Government Primary School centre in the Sylhet-2 constituency (Biswanath) where the missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali was a former MP.

Locals stayed away in a show of protest against Ilias Ali’s disappearance, said Sylhet district BNP's Organising Secretary Ali Ahmad.

Ali, chief of the party's Sylhet district unit, went missing along with his driver from Dhaka’s Mohakhali on Apr 18, 2012.

The BNP alleges the government was behind the ‘disappearance’, but the authorities denied the allegation.

Ruling Awami League's Shafiqur Rahman was elected MP from the Parliament seat in the ninth national election. However, the party chose not to announce any candidate for the constituency this time.

In Sirajganj, two polling centres under Bulkuchi Upazila's Dhukuriyaberha Union ended Sunday's polls without a single vote being cast.

The area had witnesses massive violence after Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee was sentenced to death on war crimes charges in February last year.

Presiding Officer at the Kalyanpur's Rawshniya Dakhil Madrasa, Farid Ahmed, said none of the 3,518 voters had turned up to vote.

Kalyanpur Government Primary School's Presiding Officer Abul Kalam Azad said there were 2,338 voters under the polling station but none of whom had showed up.

The picture was similar in two voting centres at Feni's Sonagazi Upazila.

Feni's Returning Officer Humayun Kabir Khandker said the polling stations were Charkandia Union's East Maheshchar Government Primary School and Sawdagarhat Mahmudia Madrasa.

The mardasa voting centre was specifically for 2,380 female voters.

In Bogra, one of the polling station at Shahjahanpur Upazila registered a zero turnout, said the presiding officer.

Only three people had voted at the Ramchandrapur Government Primary School centre.

In Cox's Bazar-4 constituency, the Harinmara Government Primary School under Teknaf Upazila got no vote.

Its Presiding Officer Ashraf Ali said there were 1,595 voters under the polling centre.

Due to the BNP-led Opposition's boycott of Sunday's polls, as many as 153 parliamentary seats had been returned without a contest. Balloting took place at only 147 constituencies with a somewhat low turnout.

While the BNP claims the low turnout means the people have rejected the government, the Awami League has expressed satisfaction over the vote.

At least 21 people have reportedly died in polls-related violence on Sunday.