Awami League directs to increase voter turnout

After the first phase of Upazila Parishad elections, Awami League ministers-MPs also tried to influence the second and third phases of elections. The policy-makers of the party are angry about the matter. For this reason, the party has now taken a strategy. 

The Awami League is now giving instructions to the grassroots leaders to boost voter turnout in the second phase, party insiders said.

About 36.1 percent votes were cast in the first phase of the 6th Upazila Parishad elections. Various isolated incidents including clashes, shootings, suspension of polling and detention of presiding officers took place in many places. But, it is a positive matter that no one died in any place. However, influence of public representatives and ignoring party orders were noticed in many places. 

From the first, the ruling Awami League government is proceeding with the policy of zero tolerance to make the upazila elections more competitive and participatory and free from all kinds of influences.  

The party is hardline so that MPs, ministers and local-level leaders cannot interfere in this election in any way. The party has made it clear, “If anyone interferes in any illegal way, a legal action will be taken against him.” 

The party also directed relatives of the ministers and MPs not to participate in the upazila polls. But this order was ignored in many places.