Low turnout in Bangladesh elections; 6 killed in violence

Dhaka: Bangladesh's violence-plagued general elections, being boycotted by opposition BNP-led alliance, today witnessed low turn out in initial hours amid heavy security, as voters preferred to stay inside home fearing violence that has left six persons dead in last 12 hours.

Polling began at 8 a.m (0200 GMT) in 147 out of 300 constituencies in 59 districts of Bangladesh, officials said.

Paramilitary Border Guards and elite Rapid Action Battalion forces were deployed along with police as 390 candidates of mostly ruling Awami League and its ally Jatiya Party were contesting for the 147 seats in the "one- sided" election, being closely watched by India and the world powers.

There is no election in remaining 153 constituencies which have returned winners without a contest, as opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led 18 party alliance is boycotting the polls. The voting in 147 constituencies where the number of voters is nearly 44,000,00 is very low, with the turnout being almost zero per cent at several polling centres in initial hours, local media reports said.

A poor turnout would give the opposition the chance to question the legitimacy of today's parliament elections. A similar poll in 1996, boycotted by the opposition which was the Awami League, witnessed a mere 7 per cent turnout and forced Khaleda Zia-led BNP government to call for fresh polls within months under a neutral non-party caretaker system.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed has said the huge deployment of security forces will give confidence to the voters and enable them to go and vote.

Officials said over 375,000 security personnel were deployed across Bangladesh to maintain peace and nearly 50,000 army troops were kept on vigil as "striking force". But voting was suspended at 136 centres due to torching of polling booths and snatching of ballot boxes and papers.

Opposition activists are burning down polling stations and attacking public transport in a bid to keep voters away from the polls, which they called as "farcical".

The BNP-led opposition had demanded postponement of the polls and setting up of a non-party caretaker government, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina rejected the demands. Political violence during strikes enforced by the opposition since November have left nearly 140 people dead. Hours before the start of voting, suspected opposition activists hacked to death an assistant presiding officer of a polling centre in north-western Thakurgaon while five others were killed in clashes with police across the country.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed has said the huge deployment of security forces will impact confidence of the voters and enable them to go and vote.

Meanwhile, a youth, believed to be a Jamaat man, was killed in clashes in neighbouring Nilphamari as the opposition activists tried to torch a polling centre. A BNP activist succumbed to his wounds early today at a hospital in north-western Lalmonirhat, whereas one truck driver died after struggling for life.

Prime Minister Hasina had last week said that despite her sincere efforts, BNP declined to contest the polls which must be held to evade a constitutional vacuum after the expiry of the 10th parliament on January 24. She asked the people to cast their votes without fear for continuity of the constitutional process and prevent illegal takeover. She, however, hinted that the 10th parliament to be installed after the elections could be short-lived to pave ways for the 11th general election after talks with BNP if it cut off ties with Jamaat, which was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan.

Several leaders supplemented her saying constitutional obligation required the government to go for the polls though it lost the usual euphoric mood in absence of the opposition. "It is true, this is an election which is being held just to comply with the constitution...if the BNP cuts off their ties with Jamaat a settlement could be reached for the next 11th elections," junior minister for law Quamrul Islam told newsmen at a polling centre in Dhaka.

However, Zia asked party supporters and common people to boycott the polls, saying "no one at home and abroad will recognize it as election and through this the Awami League government will appear anew as an illegal structure." Her son Rahman, who is wanted in several graft and criminal cases at home, in a video message from London supplemented his mother urging people to boycott the polls for what he said in the interest of the "country’s existence".