No enthusiasm in Bangladesh district council elections

Presiding and polling officials, candidates and their agents, and law enforcement officers are all present at the Dhaka Agargaon Taltala Government Colony High School and Women’s College and the Banani Biddaniketon School polling centres.

The only ones who seem to be missing are voters.

According to Agargaon Taltala Government Colony High School and Women’s College Polling Centre Presiding Official Md Moinul Hossain, polling officials had finished setting up the centre by 9am. The first voter came in more than an hour later.

“They are VIP voters, you know,” quipped SM Hanif, a Dhaka Ward -2 District Council seat candidate present at the polling centre. “They will not appear before 12pm.”

The centre’s first voter was Dhaka City Corporation Ward -2 Reserved Councillor Amina Khatun, who cast her ballot at 10:15am.

City Corporation Councillors Meherunessa Haque and Rashida Khanam Jhorna and Ward – 9 Councillor Abul Hossain cast their vote soon after.

According to the presiding official, a total of 32 potential voters are registered in his polling centre – 24 men and 8 women. A total of 1,176 voters will be able to cast their votes at 15 polling centres in the Dhaka district.

The first voter at the Banani Biddaniketon School polling centre was Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Anisul Haque, who cast his vote at 9:45am.

“Every day Bangladesh progresses,” he said. “Today we voted for the district council elections. This is another positive step on the road of democracy.”

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon will cast his vote at the Azimpur Girl’s High School polling centre at 11:30am, said his press officer Zakir Hossain.

Chittagong Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin cast his vote at the city’s Dr Khastagir Government Girls High School at 9:45am.

The 836 polling centres across the country are scheduled to remain open until 2pm.