Voter turnout has increased at polling centers in Barisal after 10am on Thursday.
Men and women, as well as young people voting for the first time, were seen gathering at the centers.
Meanwhile, candidates from the sheaf of paddy, scale, and hand fan symbols in Barisal’s six constituencies cast their votes at their respective centers and expressed hope that the rest of the election would be conducted fairly.
Sixty-year-old Jalil Mridha, who came to vote at the Barisal Nuria Secondary School centre, said that he had been unable to vote in the last three elections. Whenever he arrived at the centre, he was told that his vote had already been cast. For this reason, he came early this year and was able to cast his own vote without facing any problems. Several other voters shared similar experiences.
Naresh Barai, a voter at the Karfa Secondary School center in Jalla Union of Uzirpur, Barisal, said he voted early because he had to go to work in the agricultural fields.
BNP candidate for the Barisal Sadar constituency Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, Islami Andolon Bangladesh candidate Mufti Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim, and Basad candidate Dr Manisha Chakraborty said that voting had been peaceful and orderly so far.
They added that if this trend continues, they would have no grounds for complaints. The candidates are visiting different polling centers to observe the situation.