“I will reach out to each corner and every people of all wards under this constituency to listen to your words and work for you. I will enjoy exchanging words with you,” he said.

Arafat was addressing a reception ceremony accorded to him as well as Dhaka-11 lawmaker Md Wakil Uddin at Banani Bidyaniketan School and College ground at Banani in the city.

Awami League’s Ward Number 19 unit of Dhaka City North accorded the reception to Arafat for becoming the state minister for information and broadcasting and being elected an MP from the constituency.

Arafat also pledged to work in unison to strengthen the hands of Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.

He said the 12th parliamentary elections safeguarded the democracy and ensured democratic practice in the country.

The election was not of being elected a lawmaker only rather it was to give a befitting reply to those who announced to boycott the polls, he mentioned.

Noting that as per the Election Commission’s announcement voter turnout was 41.8 percent, the state minister claimed actually the percentage will be higher if the number of voters who are not residing in the country and who have migrated to other parts of the country is counted.

“Around 1.27 crore voters meant 10 percent voters of our country don’t reside in the country while 10-15pc others remain in internal migration within the country. But they don’t inform the Election Commission,” he said.

“So, if we want to make the actual percentage of voter turnout, we would have to count within 75 percent voters as on an average you cannot find 25pc voters in each constituency. So, we can say around 60 percent voters have cast their votes in the elections,” he said.

He said same issues were also in his constituency too.

Noting that there were local and international conspiracies against the elections, he said the people made the elections a successful one by casting their votes amidst the call and threat for vote boycotting by BNP and like-minded parties.

BNP and their allies carried out subversive activities including setting buses and train coaches on fire by calling hartal, blockade and so on to thwart the elections but they failed as people gave them a befitting reply by casting their votes in the elections, he said.

Ward Number 19 unit president and ward councilor valiant freedom fighter Md Mafizur Rahman presided over the event while Dhaka City North AL president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman and general secretary SM Mannan Kachi and Wakil Uddin, also vice president of AL’s Dhaka City North unit, spoke at the function.

AL Central Working Committee Member Golam Rabbani Chinu, Bangladesh Mahila Awami League General Secretary Shabnam Jahan Shila, MP, Banani Thana AL President valiant freedom fighter AKM Jasim Uddin and General Secretary Mir Mosharraf Hossain were present at the function, among others.

At the onset of the programme, leaders of different units of Dhaka City North AL greeted them with bouquets.

A colorful cultural function was held followed by the reception ceremony