No irregularities, 35% votes cast in Gaibandha-5 by-poll, says CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Wednesday said there were no irregularities in the by-election to Gaibandha-5 constituency of parliament.

The CEC said this while he was talking to the journalists after conclusion of vote casting in the by-polls in the afternoon.

In response to a question from a reporter Kazi Habibul Awal said 35 per cent of the voters cast their ballots in the by-election to Gaibandha-5 seat. The presence of voters was low due to cold wave. However, there were no irregularities in the by-polls.

Earlier, voting in the by-election for Gaibandha-5 began at 8:00am which continued till 4:30pm. Like the previous by-election, closed-circuit television cameras were also installed this time to monitor the voting centres. The voting which was suspended due to irregularities, began this morning in a peaceful environment using the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Following the death of the Deputy Speaker of Jatiya Sansad and Gaibandha-5 lawmaker Fazle Rabbi Miah on 22, 2022, it became a constitutional obligation to hold election for the parliamentary seat by 20 October last year. Accordingly, it was scheduled for 12 October. The voting was suspended by the EC due to irregularities.