Bangladesh has higher voter turnout than US: Foreign minister

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said elections in Bangladesh have a higher voter turnout than those in the United States.

"Voters here can vote for whoever they want. We get a minimum turnout of 72%. In Europe, it is 30-35% and rarely more than 28% in the US," said the minister at a press conference organised on the Indian Ocean Conference at the ministry in Dhaka on Wednesday (10 May).

The turnout of voters in the US presidential election in 2020 was 66.8%, the highest in the 21st century. The elections in 2016 saw a 54.8% turnout while 53.8 in 2012 and 57.1 in 2008.

He said, "Some mischievous people had made our elections questionable with fake voters, weak election commission and yes/no votes."

Regarding the message given by the government to the representatives of the countries recently visited by the prime minister, Momen said, "We have told everyone that if you have special demands or special attention on someone, then you should make the statement. Besides, no matter what we say, there is no use.

"We don't need to take advice from others. Rather, others can learn from us," he added.

Denying any protests by the opposition party in Washington, the minister said, "When we reached Washington, we did not find any protestors. Even when we were in London, we didn't see any protestors. We see them on Facebook, [videos of which are] made at home and have no truth."

The minister also said he himself went out of his hotel to find the protestors.

"I came out of the hotel and searched a lot. If I get a person from the opposition party, I will ask them, why are you so unhappy? Awami League people were standing in line to meet the prime minister [in Washington]."