20pc more vote cast in UZ poll than that in nat\\\'l one

The first phase of the fourth Upazila Parishad polls recorded 62 per cent voter turnout, up by more than 20 per cent from the national elections a month and a half ago, which had witnessed 40 per cent voting. The estimate has been made after analysing votes polled in 97 Upazilas across the country on Wednesday. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad had earlier said that the voter turnout might be above 60-65 percent in the first phase of the local body elections. Though the voter turnout went up in the first phase of the Upazila (UZ) polls, but it is six percent down from that – 67.69 per cent - of the third UZ elections held in 2009. The 97 UZs have 16.02 million voters, of whom over 10 million cast their vote for the election of chairman in the UZs on Wednesday. The highest number of votes - 81.62 - was cast in Chapainawabganj district’s Nachol Upazila. The lowest number of votes -37.20 per cent - was polled in Shariatpur district’s Jajira upazila. Re-polling will be held at two centres of Sirajganj’s Ullahparha to elect its chairman, according to bdnews24.com.