Election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar on Thursday said that the quality of the by-elections had deteriorated since the 11th parliamentary polls held on December 30, 2018.
Mahbub made the observation at a press conference at his office after visiting nearly 70 polling booths of 14 polling stations at Nikunja, Khilkhet, and Uttara during the by-polls to Dhaka-18 parliamentary constituency.
‘After visiting the polling stations, my observation is that the quality of the polls has fallen from the general election. This election was held totally in a non-participatory manner,’ he said.
He said that he did not find polling agents of opposition candidate in most polling stations between 9:00am to 12:00pm.
‘I have seen poster, placards, and billboards of a particular party though the law required removal of it,’ he said, adding that he did not consider the election as an event of winning of a party or candidate but it was the only way to improve democracy.
‘The process of handing over of power could not be normal without holding of free, fair, neutral, participatory, and acceptable elections,’ he said.
Unrest, social problems, and frustration was increasing in the country in the absence of fair and credible elections, he said, adding that he demanded reform in the electoral system otherwise the nation would move towards an unexpected future.
