The chief election commissioner has said the polls in the newly formed
Comilla City Corporation will remain as an example in the electoral
history of Bangladesh.
Talking to reporters after voting in the maiden polls in Comilla on Thursday, ATM Shmasul Huda thanked the people for helping conduct the election in a fair and peaceful manner.
He said 70 percent voters have exercised their franchise in the polls.
In the first-ever all-electronic voting machine (EVM) polls on Thursday in the Bangladesh's smallest city corporation, 75.06 percent votes were cast, according to the Election Commission.
Citizens Committee candidate Monirul Haque Sakku, an expelled BNP leader, won a landslide to beoame the first mayor of Comilla with 65,577 votes, while his nearest rival ruling Awami League-backed Afzal Khan got 36,471 votes..
Huda said: "People in great number have gone to vote despite many negative comments against the polls. Use of EVM in 100 percent polling centres has set an example."
Though the Election Commission earlier used EVMs in Chittagong and Narayanganj city polls on a limited scale, this is the first time it has used the electronic devices in all the polling centres.
A total of 169,273 voters cast their votes through EVMs at 421 polling booths of the 65 polling centres from 8am to 4pm and both voters and the contestants expressed their satisfaction with regard to the EVMs.
Before the maiden polls of the Comilla city, EVMs were only used in one ward in Chittagong and in nine wards in Narayanganj polls on an experimental basis.
Afzal Khan and Sakku, who was relieved of BNP post for running the polls, hailed the use of EVMs in all polling centres.
Sakku, however, said the Election Commission should have publicised use of the machines for a longer period.
Asked for comment on the opposition against the use of EVMs, the CEC said: "Many complaints can be heard if a new system is introduced. I'm not blaming anybody for that."
Incidentally, opposition BNP boycotted the election in protest against the EVM use.
Mentioning that the commission has planned use of EVMs in all local government polls, Huda said: "The devices will be used in the ensuing Narsingdi municipal election."
He, however, said use of EVMs in national polls could be decided through discussion since a large political party is against it.
Talking to reporters after voting in the maiden polls in Comilla on Thursday, ATM Shmasul Huda thanked the people for helping conduct the election in a fair and peaceful manner.
He said 70 percent voters have exercised their franchise in the polls.
In the first-ever all-electronic voting machine (EVM) polls on Thursday in the Bangladesh's smallest city corporation, 75.06 percent votes were cast, according to the Election Commission.
Citizens Committee candidate Monirul Haque Sakku, an expelled BNP leader, won a landslide to beoame the first mayor of Comilla with 65,577 votes, while his nearest rival ruling Awami League-backed Afzal Khan got 36,471 votes..
Huda said: "People in great number have gone to vote despite many negative comments against the polls. Use of EVM in 100 percent polling centres has set an example."
Though the Election Commission earlier used EVMs in Chittagong and Narayanganj city polls on a limited scale, this is the first time it has used the electronic devices in all the polling centres.
A total of 169,273 voters cast their votes through EVMs at 421 polling booths of the 65 polling centres from 8am to 4pm and both voters and the contestants expressed their satisfaction with regard to the EVMs.
Before the maiden polls of the Comilla city, EVMs were only used in one ward in Chittagong and in nine wards in Narayanganj polls on an experimental basis.
Afzal Khan and Sakku, who was relieved of BNP post for running the polls, hailed the use of EVMs in all polling centres.
Sakku, however, said the Election Commission should have publicised use of the machines for a longer period.
Asked for comment on the opposition against the use of EVMs, the CEC said: "Many complaints can be heard if a new system is introduced. I'm not blaming anybody for that."
Incidentally, opposition BNP boycotted the election in protest against the EVM use.
Mentioning that the commission has planned use of EVMs in all local government polls, Huda said: "The devices will be used in the ensuing Narsingdi municipal election."
He, however, said use of EVMs in national polls could be decided through discussion since a large political party is against it.
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