Dhaka's polling stations empty: agents inactive amid sparse voter turnout
Publish: 07 Jan 2024, 07:05 PM
A polling agent is sleeping in a center in Dhaka
In the 12th National Parliament elections, the polling stations in Dhaka-11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 parliamentary constituencies are experiencing a shortage of voters. Several centres lack candidates' agents; presiding and polling officers are spending their time without much activity.
Until noon on Sunday, such scenes were observed on the field.
In the Dhaka-12 seat, six candidates are contesting. At 9:10 a.m. in the Rajdhani School Center of Ward No. 27 within this constituency, no agent representing any of the candidates was present at a women's booth. Despite a voter of 400 in this particular area, only a small number of votes were cast in the women's booth at this centre.
Speaking with the plough agent here, it was revealed that initially, they claimed to be the agent of the plough but failed to specify that they represented their candidate and the corresponding symbol. Subsequently, they admitted to being the agent for the boat symbol.
At 11:00 a.m., a similar scenario unfolded at the Textile University and Dhaka Polytechnic Laboratory School in Ward No. 24 of the Shilpanchal Police Station within constituency-12. Moreover, at Ispahani Girls School and College in Hatirjheel Ward, as well as Nazrul School and Siddiqui School in Ward No. 25, it was noted that there were no voters present.
In the Navayug Government Primary School Center within Mohammadpur Ward No. 31 of Dhaka-13 Constituency, there were no voters present. Simultaneously, at 10:45 p.m., the Ideal School polling station in Adabar Bazar under Jahangir Kabir Nanak's constituency also lacked voters. Additionally, breakfast arrangements were observed near the polling station.
At 10:55 a.m., a few voters were observed at St. Lawrence School in Ward No. 16 of Kafrul Police Station within the Dhaka-15 Constituency. Similarly, even after 11:00 a.m., Mirpur-11 Haqqani Mission, Mohammadabad Islami Aliya Madrasa Center, and Ward No. 16 Ibrahimpur Government Primary School Center in Kafrul were experiencing a shortage of voters.
At 11:15 a.m., no voters were observed at the booth located in Didar Adarsh Kindergarten Center within Ward No. 22 of Rampura in the Dhaka-11 Constituency.
In the Shah Ali police station within the Dhaka-14 constituency, outsiders were spotted outside the centre, but no voters were present within the centre itself. Areas including Commerce College, Monikanan School, Mirpur Government School, BCIC College, and Shahali Women's College did not witness any voters during the observed period.