Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Election Commission (EC) has issued a revised gazette for the 12 February national referendum, cutting more than one million votes from the previously announced totals.
According to the updated figures, nearly 950,000 “Yes” votes from the earlier count have been removed. The number of “No” votes has also been reduced slightly. The Commission did not give a detailed explanation, saying only that the changes were made “by order of the Commission.”
The referendum was held to approve the so-called July National Charter and had been controversial from the beginning. Critics questioned both the purpose of the vote and how quickly it was organized.
Interim administration chief Muhammad Yunus had earlier described the referendum as a reflection of the people’s will. However, his office has not yet responded to the revised results.
Analysts say that without a clear explanation for the removal of such a large number of votes, concerns and debate about the electoral process are likely to continue.
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