Election observer group Brotee yesterday said the 10th parliamentary election held on January 5 was not free and 100% fair, but it recognised the poll in a bid to overcome the political crisis centring election.
The organisation also said the Election Commission failed to ensure security and create an environment for a free, fair and credible election.
Based on its monitoring of 234 polling centres under 16 constituencies by mobile observers and analysis of media reports, Brotee found 37% votes were cast in their observing centres.
It estimated that vote casting was 26% in Dhaka.
The organisation, however, did not give any estimate on the percentage of vote casting in all constituencies.
“The 10th parliamentary election was not free and 100% fair,” Sharmeen Murshid, chief executive officer of Brotee, said at a press briefing yesterday.
“We want to overcome the political crisis centring election, and so we have accepted the election,” she added.
“Though the parliamentary election was legally correct, it was not as fair as the previous one,” she further said.
The observation report said 30 people were killed and 671 injured on the poll’s day and in post-poll violence.
Of the victims, 21 were killed and 587 injured on January 5 and nine killed and 84 injured in post-election violence.
It also estimated that 180 people were killed in violence since the announcement of election schedule on November 25.
According to the report, violence took place in 445 polling centres under 32 districts and polls in 539 centres under 36 constituencies were postponed.
It said 152 schools were burnt by the 18-party alliance activists.
In 29 constituencies, the rival candidates boycotted the election alleging vote rigging.
The report said participation of women and non-muslim voters were at its lowest.
In the post-election violence, 422 houses, temples and shops of Hindu community were vandalised, torched and looted, added the report.
About the reasons of low turnout, the report mentioned lack of preparation and campaign of candidates.
The observation report said it found anti-election activists threatened voters not to cast votes, and crude bombs were blasted surrounding the polling centres.
