Election Commissioner (EC) Rashida Sultana on Friday said it would have been better if there was a high voter turnout, but it is a big thing that the elections were held peacefully.
“We won’t say we are satisfied or dissatisfied, but the important thing is that the vote was peaceful. Voter turnout will be increased in the future as the voter turnout is more in the second phase than the first phase,” she said.
The election commissioner said this while she was speaking at a views-exchange meeting with the law enforcers and chairmen candidates at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Bogura on the occasion of the 6th Upazila Parishad Elections at 12:00pm on the day. Deputy Commissioner of Bogura Md Saiful Islam presided over the meeting.
She said the influence of honourable members of parliament (MPs) and ministers can be seen in some areas. With due respect, I am telling that you (MPs and ministers) are honourable persons. You will vote in the areas where you are a voter during the upazila elections.
There is no problem with that. But you cannot campaign for any candidate from that constituency. You can't influence anyone, can't intimidate anyone and can't do anything that causes fear. If you do such thing, the EC will not stop taking legal actions against you.
Addressing the candidates, Rashida Sultana said, “You should not go into anyone's circle. If you go inside someone's circle and scare the voters, then we will cancel the candidature of that candidate. You must abide by the code of conduct.”
“You will be in the circle of voters. We see that the candidates do not have a good relationship with the voters. So, the candidates should go to the voters and build relationships with them. You will be elected through their votes. Candidates should campaign following the code of conduct. You can't say anything aggressively against other candidates without reason,” she told the candidates. Rajshahi Additional Divisional Commissioner Parvez Rayhan, Additional DIG Faisal Mahmud, Rajshahi Regional Election Officer Delwar Hossain, Bogura Superintendent of Police (Additional DIG) Sudeep Kumar Chakraborty, 16 BGB Naogaon Captain Lt. Colonel Muhammad Sadiqur Rahman, Senior Election Officer of Bogra district Mahmud Hasan along with UNOs, senior officers of intelligence department, RAB, Ansar forces, officers-in-charge of police stations and candidates were present.
