BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said this election has become a mockery.

The BNP leader made the comments to The Daily Star at the Syedpur Airport in Nilphamari when he was returning to Dhaka from Thakurgaon after voting ended today at 4:00pm.

Ruling party men and police worked hand in hand during this election, Fakhrul said.

“This is the death of democracy,” he further added.

Picking up from safe road protest a few months ago, the ruling Awami League has vowed to bring discipline in Dhaka’s transport sector.

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina said, if voted, her party will introduce modern bus services to curb indiscipline in Dhaka’s bus service.

Touching the pulse of the popular movement, which was one major flak Awami League drew ahead of the election, the party pledged more for the students.

Hasina said, her party will ensure overpass and underpass along all schools and educational institutions situated along the major roads and highways.

In its manifesto unveiled today, Awami League also pledged to construct a new international airport and promised to modernise and improve the existing airports.

Hasina spoke of introducing bullet trains in Dhaka and other divisional towns; and dredge the rivers and canals to increase their navigability and beautification.

Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed today said the 11th parliamentary election held on Sunday will remain as a ‘bright example’ in national life.

“This is a huge event in the history of Bangladesh as the voting to the 11th parliamentary election took place in a very free, fair and peaceful environment under a political government,” he told reporters at the EC Secretariat here on the outcomes of the election.

He said many local and foreign observers have expressed their satisfaction over the voting.

Helal said the Awami League-led Grand Alliance gained a massive victory in this election to run the government for a straight three terms.

He also informed the media that so far the results to some 298 constituencies out of 300 have been announced since the election to three centres at Brahmanbaria-2 has been withheld. “There’ll be re-voting in these three centres.”

In Gaibandha-3 constituency polling was postponed as Dr ATM Fazle Rabbi of BNP-led 20-party alliance candidate died of old-age complications.

The EC Secretary extended gratitude to all the political parties, including Awami League, for taking part in this election amid festivity.

He said the Commission was taking preparations over the last one year to hold the election in a successful way and in this process they prepared voters list, completed delimitation of 300 constituencies, appointed the returning officers and assistant returning officers after announcement of the polls schedule, and held meetings with political parties.

Helal Uddin said about 15 lakh polling officials and members of law enforcement agencies were engaged to help hold the election in a free and fair manner with the participation of some 39 political parties and 1,846 candidates.

This election was a huge event in national life except some sporadic incidents as the EC has stopped polling at 22 centres for sporadic clashes and incidents out of the overall number of around 40,000 centres, he said quoting Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda as saying.

About the EVM use in voting, the EC Secretary said EVMs were used in six constituencies and there were curiosity, interest and anxiety over the use of these machines.

“But, we’ve been able to successfully use the EVMs…we’ll use EVMs in the upcoming elections. We will consider on how to get the results from these EVMs much earlier in the future,” he added.

Helal Uddin said the Commission is yet to calculate the overall percentage of votes casted in this election, adding their next big task will be to publish the gazette notification of the election results.

“Thus it will hand over it to the Speaker of Parliament for taking next steps and proceedings.”

The EC Secretary congratulated the Awami League for gaining the overwhelming victory side by side thanked the other political parties to cooperate with the EC for holding this election successfully.

Prime minister and president of Awami League, Sheikh Hasina has pledged to strengthen the parliament further in her party’s manifesto.

“In the last 10 years, our parliament was the centre of democracy. We will continue to bolster the process of institutionalising democracy,” she said.

Additionally, she pledged to continue efforts to strengthen rights commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, media, and the judiciary.

She was unveiling her party’s manifesto, which she said was focused on the progress of development in Bangladesh, at a hotel in Dhaka city.