Narayanganj voters in doldrums

A lot of voters had to return without exercising their franchise at the Narayanganj-5 bypoll as they could not track their voter roll numbers.

These numbers are essential as the polling officials verify a voter's identity through it.

"I couldn't cast my vote as I don't know my voter number, even though my national ID card was with me," Rekha Shaha said while speaking to bdnews24.com on Thursday outside the polling centre at the Narayanganj Club.

 

Laxman Shaha's case was similar. "I've been trying for three hours to cast my vote. Didn't find anyone outside the centre to help us," he said.

Not only them, but scores of other voters were found leaving the polling centre for the same reason, a fact which polling officials admitted but said they could do nothing about.

The Election Commission has provisions for tracking voter numbers through its website as well as through mobile phone SMS service.

Usually, candidates and their supporters provided voters with their serial numbers at their doorsteps. But that was not the case this time, according to voters.

The Returning Officer Mihir Sarowar Morshed was loaded with complaints but seemed 'helpless'.

"The candidates were supposed to deliver the slips (containing the serial numbers) to the voters. The authorised agents of the candidates were also supposed to provide those. What can we do if they didn't?," he told reporters at the Narayanganj Club polling centre.

As an instant solution, he asked voters to send a SMS to 2233 with their National ID numbers. One Shafiqul Islam did so and could immediately cast his vote.

Meanwhile, voter turnout was rather low at the voting centres amid the rainy weather. A few voters were seen at polling centres of Kalagachhiya Union of the Bandar Upazila.

Presiding officer of the voting centre at the Narayanganj Govt Women's College Shamsul Alam said that only 60 voters out of the 3,075 at the centre voted in the first two and half hours.

"Voter turnout is very low. People are coming by very low numbers," said ASN Mesbah Uddin, the presiding officer of the polling centre at Ganabidya Niketon.

Voting has been rather peaceful without any untoward incidents of violence or irregularities.

However, the election officials said they have received some minor complaints.

"I have received some minor complaints form the contestants and addressed them immediately. We have been instructed to stop any irregularity," said the Returning Officer Mihir Sarwar Morshed.

‘Ensure fair by-poll in N’ganj’