Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has called upon journalists to highlight the visibility and transparency of voting to overcome the lack of trust of the general public.
The CEC entered the Habibullah Bahar College Centre in Shantinagar of the capital at 8:35am on Sunday to cast his vote.
"I have just cast my vote… I would request you to bring up the visibility and transparency of voting; if there is any mistrust among people about voting, it will be removed,” he told reporters.
In response to a journalist's question regarding low voter turnout, the CEC said: "I don't know anything about voter turnout being low or high… I just came and cast my vote. If there is any problem, I will see it.”
In response to a question about violence, he said: "I am not thinking about it at all… My responsibility is to hold the election. The law enforcers will look into those matters.”
Asked whether the people's confidence in voting will return, he said: "I can't say that at the moment."
Bangladesh’s 119.6 million voters are casting their ballots for the 12th national parliamentary election.
Voting began at 8am on Sunday at 261,912 polling booths in 42,024 voting centres and will continue until 4pm with 299 parliamentary seats up for election. Polls were deferred in one seat at the death of a candidate.
Since morning, voting has been cancelled in one polling centre in Narsingdi-4 constituency on allegations of irregularities. No incidents of violence was reported from any part of country centring the polls.
