The residents of Dhaka-17 constituency, which comprises the posh neighbourhoods of Banani, Gulshan and Dhaka Cantonment, have no interest in the one-sided 10th parliamentary polls and most voters of the area said they would not go out to vote today.
Many voters told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday evening that they had no information on the candidates vying for the seat or their election symbols.
The voters also claimed that the candidates did not run adequate campaigns or meet with the locals. Some also said they had no idea that polls would be held in their area or where the polling centres were.
“Polls are being held in our area? I did not know,” said Jubaida Begum, owner of a tea stall at Banani Road 17. “Even if the polls are held tomorrow, I will not go to vote.”
Since the incumbent lawmaker and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad withdrew his candidature, three new aspirants have entered the race.
The new faces on the ballot paper include Abdul Latif Mallick of Jatiya Party (Manju) with “bicycle” symbol, SM Abul Kalam Azad of newly-floated Bangladesh Nationalist Front with “television” and independent candidate MA Hannan Mridha, whose symbol is “football”.
The ruling Awami League did not field any candidate as it had earmarked the seat for Ershad, while the BNP-led opposition parties are boycotting the polls.
The candidates who are running, meanwhile, seem to have failed to create much enthusiasm among the voters.
“In every (past) parliamentary election, I have gone to vote with special interest. But this year, I will not go to the polling centre as I have no interest in the one-sided polls,” said Ashique Anowar, a school teacher and Banani resident. “The polls have not obtained support from all over the world, so how can I go to cast my vote?”
“I know another election will be held within a little time just after the polls tomorrow, so why should I go to cast my vote spending my vehicle fuel for this one-sided polls?” he added.
Ashique also said he did not know the names nor the symbols of the three new candidates. “None of the candidates and their supporters came to my house with voter slips and leaflets like in previous polls,” he added.
Md Dulal, an electrician who lives inside the cantonment, said he would not be going to the polling centre for fear of possible violence.
Belal Hossain, a resident of Gulshan 1, also said he would not cast his ballot this time, although he had voted in almost every national election from 1991 to 2008.