Citizens at number of polling stations in B'desh exercised rights peacefully: ECI delegation

Three Election Commission of India ECI officials who were in Bangladesh as observers for the parliamentary polls said on Monday that they witnessed citizens at a number of polling stations exercise their electoral rights peacefully.

Three Election Commission of India (ECI) officials who were in Bangladesh as observers for the parliamentary polls said on Monday that they witnessed citizens at a number of polling stations exercise their electoral rights peacefully. The ECI delegation comprised Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Dharmendra Sharma, Director General B Narayanan and Principal Secretary Mohammed Umar. ''We have visited a number of polling stations and have witnessed the polling process first hand. We saw citizens of Bangladesh exercising their electoral rights at these stations peacefully,'' the delegation said in a statement.

The delegation visited Bangladesh as observers to the country's 12th parliamentary elections.

Bangladesh's opposition boycotted the general elections on Sunday calling it a ''sham''. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League was re-elected for the fourth consecutive term and the polls registered a voter turnout of only 41.8 per cent, almost half compared to that in the 2018 polls and the lowest since 1991.

The main opposition, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who is under house arrest on graft charges, had boycotted the polls calling it a ''sham''.

Despite the largely peaceful voting, officials and the mainstream media reported at least 18 incidents of arson across Bangladesh since late Friday, with 10 of them targeting polling places.

''We appreciate the efforts of the Election Commission of Bangladesh and its meticulous planning and arrangements made for the conduct of the election process and facilitating this visit... We have a cordial relationship with the Election Commission of Bangladesh and we look forward to continuing our cooperation,'' the statement by the ECI delegation said. Top ECI officials have visited various countries as observers during their general elections.

The commission also invites members of various election management bodies to witness polls in India.