Voting is underway in Barisal and Khulna City Corporations in a festive atmosphere with unimaginable voter turnout, said Election Commissioner Ahsan Habib Khan.
“We are monitoring every CC camera with CEC. The presence of voters in such a festive atmosphere since morning is beyond imagination. It has given us peace that the fair election system of the commission has reassured the voters and encouraged them to come to the polling stations,” he said while speaking to reporters after monitoring the Khulna and Barisal city elections via CCTV cameras for two and a half hours at the Agargaon polling station in the capital.
“I have not received any kind of non-cooperation from anyone. Voters came to the centres without any hindrance. Candidates are cooperating, and no disorder was observed,” he said.
The voting in the two cities started at 8 am using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and will continue uninterrupted until 4 pm.
“Voting will continue even after 4 pm if there are voters within the precincts of the polling stations,” he said.
This is the first time that CC cameras are being employed to monitor the elections of two cities from the temporary control room of the EC auditorium in Dhaka.
“We are receiving reports from the field level from our own monitoring teams. Our Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath has gone to Barisal, and Joint Secretary Moniruzzaman has gone to Khulna, accompanied by ten officers. The feedback I got from them is very good, fair, and free elections,” said Ahsan.
Regarding the use of EVMs for voting, he said, “Voting through electronic voting machines has been problem-free. We have not received any complaints.”
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