36pc votes cast in upazila polls: EC

Around 36 per cent of votes were cast in the first phase of the sixth upazila parishad election in 139 upazilas across the country held on Wednesday, Election Commissioner Md Alamgir has said.

Some 17 per cent of votes were cast in Kushtia Sadar upazila, the lowest number of votes, while Kshetlal upazila of Joypurhat district witnessed the highest number of votes at 73.1 per cent, he said.

The election commissioner disclosed the information at a press briefing held at the Election Building in the city’s Agargaon on Thursday, according to local media reports.

Around 30 to 40 per cent of votes were cast in the first phase of upazila parishad elections, Kazi Habibul Awal, chief election commissioner (CEC), said on Wednesday.

He said that in the first phase, polling was completed peacefully in 139 upazilas. The voting started at 8:00 am and continued until 4:00 pm on Wednesday.