Decrease in female voters worries BNP

BNP today expressed grave concern over the decline in the numbers of female voters in the last couple of years and questioned whether the Election Commission has any ill intention behind it.

“We believe most of the female voters used to cast their votes in favour of Khaleda Zia whenever elections held in a free and fair atmosphere. We guess the present subservient and worthless Election Commission is not interested in including eligible females in the voter list considering the matter,” BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said.  

Speaking at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka, Ripon said in 2008 voter list, the number of female voters was 14.13 lakh more than that of the males. But number of female voters is decreasing every year since 2008, he added.

Pointing to the latest update of voter list in 2013, Ripon said the number of male voters has increased by over 2.91 lakh than the number of female voters.

“Country’s civil society has expressed their concern to this end as the Election Commission is not doing anything to find out reasons behind it,” the BNP international affairs secretary also said.

Pointing to EC’s decision to register youths aged between 15 and 17 during ongoing updating of the voter enrolment, Ripon said the EC’s such move is unlawful and motivated ahead of the upcoming elections to the municipalities and union parishads.