Elderly, first-time voters hope for calm and order at Dhaka polls

Voters are coming to polling centres with different expectations for the future

Abdul Quader Bepari came to his polling centre, leaning heavily on a walking stick.

“All the friends I had who are my age have died. But I’m still sitting here. I am 86 years old. This is my last vote. I won’t be able to vote again. My son brought me. I voted,” he said.

Asked about his hopes for the election, he said: “I don’t want any more unrest or violence. I am casting a vote at the end of my life. Let Allah bring peace to our country. That is what I want.”

Labanya Chowdhury, who came to cast her first-ever vote, hopes for the same thing.

“This is my first ever vote,” she said. “I became a voter in 2024. My mother told me not to vote. But I have come this time. The only thing I want is for there to be no more unrest. I want peace and order to return. I don’t want anyone to stand in the way of women. That is my hope.”

Alim Mia, a middle-aged man, also spoke of his hopes.

“When I went to into business, I realised that this country a hell. Everyone is trying to go after everyone else. I want to do away with that,” he said.

Voters, young and old, are coming to cast their ballots in the parliamentary election. Lines are forming in some places, while other booths stand empty.

But the election is proceeding peacefully in the Dhaka University area.