“I’ve voted many times in my life, but today’s was the best”

Anwara Begum was delighted to cast a ballot through the Electronic Voting Machine during the Mymensingh city polls

Anwara Begum, bowed by age, has difficulty walking. Still, with the help of her daughter and a neighbour, she came to cast her ballot at the Mymensingh City Corporation polls. She was ‘delighted’ at the opportunity to vote by Electronic Voting Machine.

Many people were turned away from the polls on Saturday because their fingerprints did not match EVM records, but the elderly voter said, “I had fun voting under this new system.”

Anwara, who came to the Premier Ideal High School polling centre to vote lives in the city’s Godaraghat area with her daughter Rena Khatun. Rena owns a local tea stall.

Though Anwara’s age is displayed as 67 on her national ID card, Rena says her mother is 97 years old.

“My mother’s birthday is written as Jan 1, 1957 on her national ID card. Accordingly, her age is 67. But the national ID is wrong. They lowered her age.”

Despite her advancing years, Rena says her mother is still eager to vote.

“My mother was hurrying about all morning, asking when we were going to vote. We took her at 10 am. My neighbour Moimunessa Khatun and I brought my mother to the polling centre.”

Asked ‘how she felt’ after casting her ballot at 12:15 pm, Anwara said, “The sunshine is harsh. It’s hot. But I still feel good.”

She said she had no issues voting by EVM.

“I’ve cast so many votes in my life,” she said. “But today’s was the best. I was able to vote comfortably, more comfortably than by paper ballot.”

“This may be the last vote I cast in my life. But I still wanted to vote one last time. Whether I will be able to vote again, only Allah knows.”

The polls for the Mymensingh City Corporation opened at 8am on Saturday. They will continue uninterrupted until 4pm.

Mohammad Belayet Hossain Chowdhury, regional officer at the Mymensingh Regional Election Office, said five candidates are running for the post of mayor, 149 for general councillors’ seats, and 69 for the reserved women’s councillor seats.

Voting is ongoing at the 33 wards in the city, which has 128 voting centres, 990 booths, and 1,500 EVMs.