Voter turnout not more than 5% in six by-polls: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday claimed that the actual average voter turnout in the by-elections to six parliamentary seats – left vacant after their party MPs resigned – was not more than 5%.

"The so-called Election Commission held by-polls yesterday (Wednesday). The voter turnout in these by-elections is nowhere more than 15 to 25% as per their (EC) calculations. As per our (BNP's) calculations, it is not more than 5%," he said.

Fakhrul made the remarks while speaking at a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office.

Referring to newspaper reports, he said the by-polls were similar to the national election in 2014. "I saw it online (web portals) that dogs are lying there (polling stations) amid absence of voters. They've taken the country's electoral system to this state."

The by-polls to the six parliamentary seats were held amid some stray incidents on Wednesday.

After the voting, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said the average voter turnout in the by-election in six parliamentary seats may be 15% to 20%.

Fakhrul said people are going through serious ordeals due to unusual price hikes in all essential items caused by widespread corruption and plundering by the ruling party leaders.

"When corruption is rampant and plundering is the main target, there is no point in talking about a global recession. You (govt) are making people's lives miserable as the price of every commodity has increased due to corruption," he said.

The BNP leader alleged that the ruling party leaders are increasing the prices of rice, salt, and oil and they are controlling the prices of the commodities.

"You have raised the power tariffs repeatedly. But if you stop the theft in the power sector, the price of electricity does not have to increase. Even, if you stop the theft in the gas sector, there is no need to increase its price," Fakhrul observed.

He said the government has started digging roads now as part of a move to plunder public money in the name of development. "In this way, they're plundering public money and siphoning it off abroad as they have no responsibility towards the people of the country. They're indulging in widespread corruption."

Before the press briefing, Fakhrul had a meeting with the leaders of BNP and its associate bodies to work out plans for making Saturday's programme at the divisional level a success.

BNP will hold rallies in all divisional cities on Saturday to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next polls under a non-party caretaker government and registering their protest against the hikes in the prices of power and gas.