Law enforcers sit idle at Anwara High School in Anwara Upazila of Chittagong yesterday during the by-polls to Chittagong-12 (Anwara-Paschim Patiya) constituency as the turnout of voters was low. The photo was taken around 10:30am.Photo: STAR

Ruling Awami League candidate Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed was unofficially declared the winner of Chittagong-12 by-election last night.
Farhad Ahmed, returning officer for the constituency (Anwara-Pashchim Patiya), said Javed had polled 1,24,964 votes and his rival, Ujjal Bhowmik of Gonoforum, 1,846 in all 90 centres. The turnout was 51.04 percent.
Locals, however, expressed surprise at the turnout figure, as they said they did not see many people queuing up at the polling centres.
Some presiding officers, seeking anonymity, alleged they were under pressure to inflate the turnout.
Earlier in the day, the by-election was held peacefully across 11 unions in Anwara upazila and five in Patiya upazila. Voting opened at 8:00am and continued till 4:00pm without any break.
The race was confined to two candidates -- AL's Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and Gonoforum's Ujjal Bhowmik.
After casting his vote at Khilpara Government Primary School around 11:00am, Ujjal alleged the ruling party supporters had driven his polling agent out from Bairag Government Primary School centre.
The RO told The Daily Star, “I have heard about the allegation and necessary action will be taken if it is found to be true.”
This correspondent saw a small number of voters at the centres he visited. Till 3:00pm, there were no queues at any of those centres except Bashiruzzaman Smriti Shikhha Kendra and South Isakhali Government Primary School -- two centres adjacent to Javed's house.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Javed's father Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu on November 4, 2012.
The constituency has 2,50,257 voters -- 1,26,293 males and 1,23,964 females.
Some 3,300 personnel from police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, and the Coast Guard were deployed across the polling areas. Each centre had 27 police and Ansar personnel posted. Besides, there were 52 strike forces at the ready.