The monstrosity had been seen at the voting turnout in the last 11th Parliamentary elections. The casting of vote was record mark in the history of Bangladesh, even in the history of Election Commission (EC).
It has been seen that the Ccommission on Saturday published the centre-wise election results on its website where hundred per cent votes were cast at least at 213 polling stations while between 90 and 100 per cent cast at least at 7,689 stations.
The total turn out of voters in the 11th parliamentary elections was 89.36 per cent, according to the Commission.
The elections were widely perceived as marred by large-scale intimidation of voters, polling agent ousters, capture of centres and massive ballot stuffing.
On the other hand, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in his remarks said on Sunday while interacting with the journalists that a 100 per cent voter turnout is unusual, but there is nothing the Commission can do about it.
“The results were announced as a gazette right after the voting,” he said and added that after the gazette was published there is nothing that the Commission can do about it.
“Since the presiding and returning officers didn’t say anything previously there is nothing the EC can do,” he said.
“If the issue is moved to the court and it orders a re-election, then its the court’s jurisdiction,” Huda said.
According to the results, 100 per cent votes, including both valid and rejected
ballots, were cast at least at 213 of the 40,199 polling centres across the country.
The data said that 100 per cent votes were cast at one polling station or more in 103 of the 300 constituencies while 90 to 90.99 per cent votes were cast at all polling stations of 14 constituencies.
Less than 50 per cent votes were cast in only four constituencies, the data showed.
Asked about the matter, Election Commissioner M Rafiqul Islam said that the ballots recovered during various irregularities, including fake voting and ballot stuffing, were also counted as rejected votes.
Political scientist and good governance campaigner Tofail Ahmed said that the percentage of the vote cast was abnormal, pointing out that the EC published the centre-wise results six months after the polling.
‘People have no trust in the EC’s results as the actual votes cast were no more than 20 per cent,’ he said, adding that the EC took the time to publish the results as it manipulated them.
‘But,’ he said, ‘It was hardly a week’s job [for them].’
In the 11th parliamentary polls, ruling Awami League bagged 258 seats while its grand-alliance partner Jatiya Party secured 22.
In the elections, Jatiya Oikya Front candidates secured 8 seats while candidates of other parties secured 9 and three constituencies went to independent candidates.
Most parties demanded cancellation of the election on the ground that it was a ‘controlled’ one. The opposition parties later did not take part in the local government elections held after the JS polls as part of their protest.
