Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Monday commented that voter turnout was about 50% in the Barisal City Corporation election and 42-45% in Khulna.
The CEC came up with the estimate while briefing reporters at the Nirbachan Bhaban at Agargaon after voting concluded in the two city corporations polls at 4pm.
The elections in two city corporations were held in an overall orderly and festive atmosphere, said Habibul Awal.
The EC has taken adequate preparations to ensure that no post-polls violence takes place in Barisal and Khulna, he said.
Apart from this, the CEC also said that instruction has been made to take immediate action against the troublemakers in Barisal.
Voting in Khulna and Barisal city elections ended at 4pm in an overall peaceful manner on Monday with reports of isolated incidents of violence in some places.
There were no reports of violence in Khulna.
However, Islami Andolan Bangladesh mayoral candidate Mufti Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim along with his supporters was injured in an alleged attack carried out by his opponents in Barisal.
Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Md Ahsan Habib termed that incident as “unexpected and isolated”.
Voting for the 31 wards of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) polls and 30 wards of Barisal City Corporation (BCC) polls began at 8am.
The voting took place via electronic voting machines (EVMs) at 289 centres in Khulna and 126 polling stations in Barisal.
Around 8,300 members of the law enforcement agencies including 4,520 policemen were deployed in Khulna city. Also, there were 11 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh for the election. Plus, 16 striking forces of the Rapid Action Battalion were deployed in the KCC polls.
On the other hand, about 4,500 members of law enforcement agencies, 10 platoons of BGB, 30 executive magistrates, and 10 judicial magistrates were working for the Barisal city polls.
In Khulna, a total of 2,320 CCTV cameras were installed both inside and outside 1,732 polling booths.
Meanwhile, 1,200 CCTV cameras were installed to ensure the security of the 894 polling booths in 126 voting centres in Barisal.
The Election Commission (EC) monitored the Khulna and Barisal City Corporation polls through CCTV cameras at the Election Commission headquarters.
Election Commissioner Md Ahsan Habib Khan praised the smooth, orderly and unhindered voting environment in the Khulna and Barisal City Corporation elections.
In the KCC polls, five candidates are vying for the mayoral post. They are AL-backed Talukder Abdul Khaleque (boat), Jatiya Party's Shafiqul Islam Modhu (plough), Bangladesh Islami Andolon's Moulana Abdul Awal (hand Fan), Zaker Party's SM Sabbir Hossain (rose) and independent candidate Shafiqur Rahman Mushfiq (table clock).
Seven candidates are vying for the mayoral post in the Barisal City Corporation polls, while 119 councillors for general post and 42 for reserved posts, with the ruling party backing a new candidate.
