No incidents of violence took place in recently held Narayanganj 5 by-polls but a huge number of vote rigging incidents occurred during the polls.
Around 30% polling centres in Narayangaj 5 by-election witnessed huge fake votes, said Election Working Group (EWG).
“The polls was mostly held in peaceful manner, but incidents of casting fake votes in large number were reported,” said a report of EWG, an alliance of 29 civil society organisations works for ensuring transparency and accountability in electoral process.
However, average voter turnout rate was 43.5% which does not reflect the accurate statistics because of huge fake votes, said the report that was unveiled at a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital yesterday.
The report also said incidents of fake votes casting occurred at 18 polling centres out of 60 which were observed by EWG representatives.
A group of people entered a polling station under ward 11 and forcibly took 8-10 ballot papers and put into the ballot boxes after sealing. The law enforcers and election officials didn’t take any action against them, said the report.
Meanwhile, the EWG deployed 60 observers to 60 polling stations out of 141 on the polling day to monitor the election. The report was prepared on the basis of EWG’s observers’ information.
However the report did not mention the people who cast the fake votes.
