Nurjahan Begum, 60, a resident of Deora village in Faridpur, had come early in the morning to catch sight of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she inaugurated the Padma Bridge rain link on Tuesday, but her wish remained unfulfilled.
"I have been standing right at the front [of the rally venue], but they did not let me in. So I am waiting by the road. I hope to see her as she passes by."
Despite waiting until late afternoon, Nurjahan and her daughters could not see Sheikh Hasina.
Nurjahan, a widow and the mother of four daughters and one son, said: "I heard that Sheikh Hasina was coming on Tuesday morning, so I hurried with my two daughters from our home. We have not eaten anything until now, just waiting.”
She was also disappointed after being denied entry to the rally and said: “We went to the stadium, but they said we needed cards to get in. We did not have any cards. We were eager to go inside, but they did not let us in without cards. We were wondering where to get the cards. We all support the Awami League with all our hearts. My husband used to support the party, and now my son and daughters support the Awami League."
Expressing her desire to see the Awami League return to power through the upcoming national election, Nurjahan said: "Once again, I will vote for Sheikh Hasina in the election. We will make Sheikh Hasina's party win. Bangabandhu's daughter has done so much for us. She has given us the Padma Bridge and railway. Our dignity and respect have increased. I could not get these benefits from any other government. I will tell everyone to vote for Sheikh Hasina."
She and her daughters returned home with regret as they could not see Sheikh Hasina, despite waiting until 4:30pm.
