Brotee and Fair Election Monitoring Agency (Fema) placed their separate reports on the by-election at a joint press conference at the Jatiya Press Club.

Muhammad Abdul Matin, secretary general of the Fema, said except some stray incidents, the by-poll was peaceful, impartial and free from any government influence.

According to the Fema report, voters turn out was 52 percent while Brotee found it to be 53 percent. Brotee said average turn out of women voters was 25 percent.

Sharmin Murshed, executive director of Brotee, said the by-poll proved that if the government and Election Commission want to hold a fair and peaceful election they can do it.

Out of total 195 centres, 98 percent polling centres was free from any violent incidents, 82 percent was free from fake votes and the administration played a laudable role at 90 percent polling centres, Sharmin said.

Although fake votes were cast at centre Nos. 140, 145, 160 and 158, most centres were free from the illegal practice, she added.

The by-poll also proved that the failure in the by-election in Dhaka-10 constituency was for lack of political will not for administrative incapability and inefficiency, Sharmin said.

Brotee engaged 120 poll observers on the polling day while the Fema deployed two trained observers at all polling centres.

Salma Ali, vice president of the Fema, chaired the press briefing and Borhan Uddin Ahmed, Fema's chief coordinator, also spoke.