Staff Correspondent

The ruling Awami League yesterday claimed that elections to the two Dhaka city corporations were held much more peacefully and better than ever in the past, while BNP said that elections were nothing but a farce.

Briefing at midway of voting hours at Awami League president’s Dhanmondi office, party joint general secretary and information minister Hasan Mahmud said, “A festive environment is prevailing, and voters are exercising their franchise freely. Polls environment is much better than ever in the past.”

He also criticised BNP for “trying to make the election questionable.”

Responding to a query about thin presence of voters, Hasan blamed winter and holiday for the low turnout.

At another briefing after the end of voting hours, the party’s other joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said yesterday’s election through EVM has been “more free, fair and peaceful than any election held in the last 100 years.”

At the press conference, AL presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak said there is no need for polling agents during an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)-only election.

“EVM is a scientific voting system where there is no need for polling agents of any party, as the machine itself works as the guard. If the fingerprint doesn’t match, you can’t vote,” he said replying to a query on BNP’s allegations of driving out their agents from polling centres.

“The EVM is such a sturdy system that it works as polling agents of all parties,” he added.

NO REFLECTION OF PEOPLE’S OPINION: FAKHRUL

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a briefing after polling hours at the party’s Nayapaltan said “a farce was staged” in the name of elections to two Dhaka city corporations.

“What was held in the name of elections to Dhaka south and north city corporations was nothing but a farce. There was no scope for reflection of the people’s opinion in the election