Cumilla, Mymensingh city polls largely peaceful: Election Commission

As many as 53 people were arrested in 18 untoward incidents, according to the CEC

Voting in more than 200 local government units, including Mymensingh and Cumilla city corporations and several municipalities, has been largely free, fair and peaceful, barring a few untoward incidents, the Election Commission has said.

As many as 53 people were arrested in 18 such incidents, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said at a media briefing at the commission headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon.

“Some untoward incidents occurred before the voting ended peacefully at 4pm. Some mentionable incidents took place in Cumilla,” he said.

“The elections were free, fair and peaceful. We haven’t received any complaints. A shooting incident occurred outside a centre in Cumilla. There was a stabbing too, but voting inside the centre was not affected,” Awal said.

Election Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman said all the candidates in Cumilla used muscle power and there were incidents of voters being barred from going to the centres.

The law-enforcing agencies were ordered to arrest any people involved in violence and irregularities, Anisur said. “We didn’t receive any complaints after the agencies took the situation under control.”

Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said the incidents outside the polling stations were “insignificant considering the situation of Bangladesh’s local government polls”.

The commission estimates the turnout will be around 50 percent on an average in the two city corporations. The turnout was about 35 percent in Cumilla until 3pm and 49 percent in Mymensingh until 3:30pm.

Another Election Commissioner, Ahsan Habib Khan, said the rate of voting indicated the turnout would be 60 percent in Amtoli municipality in Barguna and 50 percent in Patuakhali.

“The elections were festive, as we expected. No centre was closed,” he said.