Online Desk:  Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said the voters did not pay heed to BNP’s call for boycotting the first phase of the upazila parishad polls and the elections were held peacefully with a satisfactory level of voters’ turnout.

“I would say voters’ turnout was very satisfactory,” he told reporters while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Awami League joint general secretary said local government elections are also held in the region including in India, Nepal and Pakistan.

He said compared to other elections and compared to the elections in the region, the level of violence was very low in Bangladesh. “Elections were held peacefully.”

Hasan said BNP boycotted the polls and urged the voters to refrain from voting but the voters did not pay heed to that call.

“Even their candidates did not listen and they took part in elections. So, the election was very satisfactory,” Hasan added.