Dhaka: Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on Tuesday said the election to 712 Union Councils was held peacefully without some stray incidents.

‘The voting was fair with a huge voter turnout… the voters cast their votes with enthusiasm and without fear. Especially the turnout of female voters was high,’ UNB quoted him as saying during a post-election briefing at the Election Commission Secretariat on Tuesday.

Noting that the election was largely acceptable, he said, ‘There were some stray incidents in several places. However, there have been violence and irregularities…it was unfortunate.’

The CEC said voting at 56 polling stations were postponed across the country in the first phase of the union council election.

Replying to a question, Rakibuddin said the election was definitely credible as the commission had to suspend voting in only 56 polling stations out of 6,500 ones, which was proportionately very low.  Besides, the EC has not received any complaint over the election fraud.

Rakibuddin expressed sorrow about the incidents of election violence that left some people injured.

About voter turout, Rakibuddin said its percentage looks to be high.

Earlier, a BNP delegation, led by Abdullah Al Noman, met the CEC at the latter’s EC Secretariat office and demanded cancellation of voting of at least 50 UPs.

‘The voting in most of the 712 UPs was marred by rigging and polling station capture. We asked the CEC to cancel balloting in at least 50 UPs on the basis of specific complaints for the sake of proving the EC’s neutrality,’ Noman told reporters after the meeting.