, April 11 -- elections in Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3 were generally peaceful and orderly while there were several procedural and administrative shortcomings, according to Alliance for Fair Election and Democracy (AFED), a platform of 30 civil society organisations supported by the European Union.

"We observed a largely calm environment where voters were able to participate," said AFED spokesperson Harun-Or-Rashid at a press conference.

"At the same time, there are areas that require improvement to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process," he said.

While polling largely began on time and ballot secrecy was maintained, AFED reported that 32 percent of polling stations were not accessible to persons with disabilities.

Observer...