Dhaka Tribune correspondents Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, Syed Samiul Basher Anik, Mohammad Zakaria, Mohammad Jamil Khan, Asif Islam Shaon, Ahmed Zayeef and Adil Shakhawat visited at least 40 polling centres in Narayanganj city and Bandar (port) area to observed polling stations till the end of counting in yesterday’s by-elections. A glimpse of the polls is presented below -
Low Turnout
The overall voter turnout in Narayanganj 5 by-polls was low and was very thin at some polling centres. Very few voters turned up in the morning because of rain.
No queue of voters was seen in at least 40 polling centres as election officials and law enforcers passed idle moments. The number of voters, however, increased as the hours went by.
Ansar official at Ekrampur Government Primary School centre Mohammad Jinnah said lack of enthusiasm among voters was palpable.
According to Presiding Officer Pliton Kanti Bhowmik, there were 200 votes at 10am, 800 at 1pm and 1,499 at the fag end. “Of the total of 3,704 voters, less than half cast votes as 1499 ballots were found in the ballot boxes when voting ended,” he said.
Nasim Ali, a young voter, said people felt less interest in casting votes as it was a by-election.
Another voter Syed Mukarram said absence of good candidates and rainfall were the reasons for low voter turnout.
Turnout of female voters compared to that of males was also found to be low.
Turnout rises 11 times in 5 hours
Till 11am, only 160 votes were cast at Kadam Rasul Degree College centre but the figure leapt almost 11 times and stood at 1,738 when voting ended at 4pm.
No long queue was seen at the centre and only a few voters cast votes, Dhaka Tribune correspondents noticed during frequent visits.
Polling agents as well as law enforcers seemed very relaxed.
“Crowd is very low since the morning. Presumably, voters in this area do not care about voting,” Prashanta, a policeman deployed at the centre, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Selim Osman’s men everywhere
Posters of Selim Osman were prevalent in the entire constituency while there were noticeably fewer of those of SM Akram.
Most of the centres saw gatherings comprised of supporters of Selim Osman and they were seen busy helping voters cast votes. They even brought voters to the polling stations by rickshaws in an effort to woo them.
Meanwhile, hardly anyone was found wearing the badge of Akram. Even Akram’s voting slip counter was not seen in every centre while more than one counter of Selim Osman were seen in almost all the centres.
Unidentified polling agents
At many polling centres, it was difficult to identify polling agents of Akram as they did not wear any official identification on the neck.
Besides, no agent of Akram was found at Dashergaon Government Primary School centre. A youth named Monir Hossain showed up suddenly and claimed himself as the agent.
When Dhaka Tribune correspondents asked for identification, he failed to show any. Some agents of Selim Osman then became busy managing a card for the youth as one of them told others: “Give him a card of Akram”.
Around 11am, a news spread that Selim’s men had forced Akram’s agents out of the centre.
Presiding officer Kazi Kawsar Ahmed, however, told the Dhaka Tribune that no untoward situation had taken place at the centre.
Ward 18 Commissioner Kamrul Hasan was alleged to have forcibly compelled agents of Akram to leave Nolua Government Primary School centre.
Mahbubur Rahman Masum, chief agent of Akram, told the Dhaka Tribune that Akram’s agents and supporters could not be seen as Selim Osman’s men coerced them into leaving the centres.
Osman’s men also attacked them, leaving them injured, he said.
Denying the allegation, chief agent of Selim Osman Khokon Saha said: “Those who know they are going to lose polls raise allegation against opponents. It is commonplace in the country.”
If any allegation is proved, we will take legal steps, he added.
Neck to neck battle
Some centres witnessed neck to neck fight between the two front runners - Selim Osman and SM Akram.
“Akram got highest 1,030 votes in the Bandar Kolabag Government Primary School centre while Selim Osman bagged 1,005,” said the Presiding Officer Masud Parvez.
Vote casting at the polling station was 2,057.
Call for vote from mosque’s loudspeaker
Around 1:45pm, a muezzin named Abdul Malek of a mosque adjacent to Kazipara Government primary School polling centre started calling the voters by its loudspeakers saying: “The voting centre is ‘empty’. Those who did not cast their votes can cast their franchise easily.”
According to the election code of conduct, using of loudspeakers during voting particularly on voting purpose is illegal.
Later, the Dhaka Tribune team found that ex-chairman of the Kazipara union and also convener of the unit’s Awami League Abdur Rahman Sarker made the order to the muezzin.
When contacted, Rahman said he is an admirer of late Nasim Osman and he ordered that to draw more voters to the centre. “What’s wrong with this?,” he questioned.
Shamim Osman’s threat to ASP
Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman allegedly threatened an assistant superintendent of police who was on-duty during the by-polls.
ASP Bashir Uddin alleged that MP Shamim Osman threatened him over phone during discharging duty in the afternoon. However, he did not elaborate the threat.
Nasim Osman, elder brother of Shamim Osman, was contesting the by-polls with the ticket from Jatiya Party.
ASP Bashir said: “Madanpur Union Parishad Chairman Abdus Salam tried to rig vote at the Kewdala Government Primary School polling centre in the morning. As I informed the matter to the higher authorities, the SP ordered me to arrest the chairman. Later, when I raided the chairman’s residence, Shamim Osman told me by phone that the chairman is his follower.”
The ASP continued that the MP asked him to let the chairman what he wants.
“Then, Shamim Osman phoned the Personal Secretary of the prime minister keeping my call connected with him [Shamim],” the ASP stated.