Brotee in its election observing report said although the election was held peacefully, the turnout of voters, especially of minority and women voters, was very low.

Brotee according to its observers' report said the voters' turnout ranged between 40 and 45 percent. It said flood and locals' despair stemmed from the killing of Ahsanullah Master MP accounted for low turnout.

Democracywatch observed that the election was fair and peaceful and voters showed up spontaneously as there was no presence of violence. Five mobile teams observed 58 polling centres out of the total 195 centers.

Voters' turnout was between 40 and 50 percent according to the observed centres, Democracywatch said.

Odhikar, in its observation report said the by-poll was fair and peaceful except some stray irregularities and casting of some fake votes.

Odhikar in two teams observed 38 polling centres. Of these, 28 were in Tongi while the rest in Gazipur.

The report said voters' turnout was higher in the morning hours than the rest of the day.

It said it received complaint that some unidentified people chased some Hindu female voters when they reached Naga Community Center Primary School centre. Around 25 voters had to leave without casting their votes, one Digendra Mandol, 55 alleged.

Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC) described the election as peaceful and fair and figured the voters' turnout at 45 percent. The percentage of fake votes added up to 5 percent, said BHRC. In addition to observers to almost all the 195 polling centres, BHRC deployed 10 mobile teams, said BHRC press statement yesterday.

AHM Nouman, chairman, Bangladesh Manobadhikar Samonnoy Parishad (BMSP) yesterday by telephone told The Daily Star, "It was really a very fair and peaceful election. It can even be a model to follow in other elections."

BMSP with 14 observers split into three teams observed 18 polling centres, he said.

Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimulla, chairman, National Election Observation Council (NEOC) yesterday said on the whole, the election was held peacefully. A total of 24 observers in 14 groups observed 180 polling centres.

Manobadhikar, another organisation that observed the election, noted the election was peaceful and impartial.