DHAKA: Election Working Group (EWG), a platform of non-party civil society’s organization, claimed that the third phase of the fourth upazila election was not held free and fair.

The EWG came up with the disclosure in a press conference at the National Press Club on Tuesday.

They claimed that the vote casting was unfair in some 2336 polling centers in 81 upazilas of 41 districts.

In response to a question, Director of the EWG M Abdul Alim said, “We have observed the three phases of upazila polls where the violence increased in a consecutive way.”

The situations of first two phases were better than the third one, he observed.

The EWG authorities also claimed that the upazila poll was held under threat, violence, and rigging in an unfair manner in most of the voting centers.

According to the EWG report, the average rate of casting vote in third phase of the election was 64.6 percent.

The details of the polling situation will be unveiled in their final report, EWG sources added.

The Election Working Group (EWG) is a non-partisan, 32-member network of civil society organizations. Established in 2006, EWG members share a common commitment to free and fair elections and good governance in Bangladesh.

BDST: 2155 HRS, MAR 18, 2014