Fair Election Monitoring Alliance (Fema) in its observation termed the election a 'completely one-sided' show, with the four-party alliance candidate's dominance marked everywhere.

"[A]ctivists of the nominee of the four-party alliance turned out the polling agents of Bikalpa Dhara from "

[the] polling stations. The activists of the candidate of the alliance were found to have been moving in large numbers in and outside the polling place, maintaining dominance throughout," it said in a media release last night.

The Fema said busloads of people were brought from different areas of Lalbagh, Jatrabari and other places beyond the Ramna-Tejgaon constituency for casting bogus votes, and they did so wherever possible.

As a result, many genuine voters could not cast their vote, it added, as in some cases "The vote was cast by the impersonator before the arrival of the real voter at the polling station".

The election observers' alliance reported that ballot boxes provided by the returning officer to be used in the poling booths did not bear any permanent serial numbers as provided in the law.

The release said backs of the ballot papers found in possession of the assistant presiding officers of most of the poling centres were duly stamped with official seal of the Election Commission in advance, "Providing a large scope for stuffing".

National Election Observation Council (NEOC) in a statement said the by-polls was held amid high instances of fraud, fake voting and other electoral interference.

"What our observers found today was an election with many, many problems," said Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, chairman of the council.

Brotee, another election observation body, remarked the by-election was a show of wholesale false voting, with help of police, administration and polling officers. Supporters of ruling coalition candidate were on guard at the centres to ensure ballot rigging, a Brotee statement said.

Human rights watchdog Bangladesh Manabadhikar Samannay Parishad (BMSP) noted an overall absence of violence in the by-polls. It too reported that supporters of ruling alliance candidate cast huge numbers of fake votes in each of the 103 polling centres. At some places, paddy sheaf supporters were found bringing false voters to the centres by rickshaws, the BMSP added.

Observers of Odhikar, another rights organisation, in its press statement said, besides casting of fake votes, irregularities, absence of army men inside the polling centres and eviction of Bikalpa Dhara polling agents made the by-election unfair.

For instance, Odhikar said at 3:35pm at Booth No. 4 of Nayatola Kamil Madrasa (Centre No. 80), two polling agents of paddy sheaf -- Abdul Mannan and Mehdi Hasan were seen to cast fake votes openly. In this booth, 129 out of total 480 votes were cast in just six minutes from 3:35pm to 3:41pm, polling officers said.

Five polling agents of independent candidate Mazharul Islam complained to Odhikar that ruling alliance cadres prevented them from entering the Dhaka University Science Annex centre. On the accusation, Presiding Officer Yasin Uddin said, "It's not possible for me to ensure everyone's entry into the centre."

DemocracyWatch reported of a low turnout of voters, especially of women, and maintained there was no incident of violence due to the absolute supremacy of a particular party at every polling centre.

It said, in some of the polling centres, army personnel were found patrolling.