Over 30% of votes were cast in the second phase of upazila parishad election held in 156 upazilas in different parts of the country simultaneously on Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal has said.

“I don’t think the turnout of 30% voters is encouraging. Moreover, a major political party did not participate in the election, resulting in a low turnout,” said the CEC while sharing his post-polls reaction with journalists at his commission office in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Responding to a query, Awal said there is no crisis centering the election except the lack of political wills.  

He said the second phase of the local body election was comparatively held in a free and fair manner except some stray incidents of violence and irregularities.

The members of law enforcement agencies detained 25 people for their alleged involvement in irregularities during the voting and instantly sent 10 of them to jail on different terms, he said.

The election at 156 upazila parishads began around 8am and the voting continued till 4 pm without any break.