No usual queues in most polling stations

Staff Reporter  :
It’s a common scenario of a polls day in Banglades that the voters are waiting in a long queue at the polling centers to cast their vote.

However, such a scenario was totally absent in most of the polling centers across the country during the 12th national parliamentary election on Sunday.

The same scene was evident at different polling centers in the capital Dhaka.

During a visit to the polling centers of the Dhaka-18 constituency, it was seen that some scattered voters came to exercise their voting right. After casting their votes, they went back.

They didn’t have to wait in any row.
Outside the polling stations, some gatherings of people were seen, but those were only gatherings of workers and supporters of the rival candidates. There was low turnout of the common voters.

Although the Election Commission claimed about 40 percent voter turnout, the presiding officers of several centers of Dhaka-18 said that only 10 percent votes were cast in their centers till 2.00 pm.

Presiding officers of Uttara Laboratory High School in Uttara Sector no 14 and Adarsha Biddyapith in Bhatara area in the city said only 10 percent votes were cast till 12.00 noon and 2.00pm respectively. Voter turnover was also very low in the polling stations of Banashree, Rampura and other areas in the city.

However, atmosphere in the polling stations were calm and cool. No incidents of violence took place in the stations. Ruling Awami League’s candidate withdrew from the contest as per the party decision.

They supported Jatiya Party candidate there. But no agent could be found in the many of the polling stations on behalf of the Jatiya Party candidate.

Sharifa Quader, wife of Jatiya Party (JaPa) Chairman G M Quader, is the candidate of Jatiya Party in the constituency.

Sharifa Quader may have a tough contest with Md Khosru Chowdhury, an independent candidate of this constituency and also Industry and Commerce Affairs Secretary of Dhaka City North unit of Awami League.

His symbol is Kettle. S M Tofazzal Hossain, another independent candidate in the constituency and also Liberation War Affairs Secretary of Dhaka City North unit of Awami League, is in the race with Truck Symbol.

Habibul Hasan, also running MP, was Awami League nominated candidate in this constituency. He withdrew his candidature as Awami League decided to share the seat with Jatiya Party. Among the 20 constituencies of Dhaka district and metropolis, only this constituency has no AL nominated candidate.