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Published : 04 Sep 2021, 11:43 AM
Ballots are being cast by Electronic Voting Machine, or EVMs, at 149 polling centres in the constituency. Polls opened at 8 am and will continue until 4 pm.
However, turnout seemed low amid the COVID pandemic, with no long lines at any polling places.
Those voters who have turned up are having some difficulty with the EVMs. It is the first time many have come across the new technology. Authorities had held a mock vote on Jul 26 to raise awareness of the EVM system, but did not receive much of a response.
But some voters say they were able to cast their ballot quickly because of the machines.
Habibur Rahman Habib, the candidate from the ruling Awami League, cast his ballot at the Jalalia Government Primary School centre at 8:30 am.
“Voting is underway and things are peaceful. We have had no news of any disturbances yet.”
The Sylhet-3 parliamentary seat was vacated by the death of Awami League MP Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury.
Other candidates for the seat include Jatiya Party candidate Atiqur Rahman Atiq, Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury who was expelled from the BNP and is running as an independent, and Bangladesh Congress candidate Junayed Mohammad Miah.
Despite active campaigning by activists and supporters of the candidates, voters seem largely silent. Many feared that turnout would be quite low and the low numbers at polling centres on Saturday seemed to bear out the concern.
But election officials have hope the turnout will rise as the day goes on.
“We have a peaceful environment for the people to cast their ballots,” said Faisal Quader, an election officer for the Sylhet district. “We have not heard of any untoward incidents so far. Law enforcement personnel have been deployed to ensure a fair election.”
In addition to law enforcement personnel, an executive magistrate has also been assigned to each union, said M Kazi Emdadul Islam, the returning officer of the election and Sylhet deputy commissioner.
An additional deputy commissioner has also been assigned to each upazila for the polls.
Between 17 and 18 police, ansar and village police personnel have been assigned to each centre, with 18 to 19 personnel at higher risk polling places. Of the 149 polling centres, 93 have been identified as ‘at risk’.
Of the 79 centres at Dakshin Surma, 49 have been identified as ‘at risk’, as have 25 of the 34 centres in Baliganj and 17 of the 36 in Fenchiganj.
The Sylhet-3 constituency has approximately 352,000 registered voters.
The police, APBN, and Battalion Ansar have convened and deployed 21 mobile forces, 12 striking forces, 12 RAB teams and 12 BGB platoons. They will remain in the area until Sept 6.
