The Awami League's candidate for the Dhaka-17 by-polls, Mohammad A Arafat, has said that as residents of Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara areas wake up late, there is a lower voter turnout now.
He has also blamed the rain for the lower participation in the Dhaka-17 by-polls on Monday morning.
He made the comments while talking to reporters at Gulshan Model School and College at around 11:30am.
The ruling party candidate also said: “As you have seen in recent by-polls voter turnout was low. Our target is to increase the number of voters. At least make it double than the recent by-polls”
Prof Mohammad Ali Arafat is an academic, political analyst, and commentator, as well as the founding convener and current chairman of Suchinta Foundation, a Bangladeshi non-profit think tank and research centre.
He is also a member of the Awami League's Central Working Committee and is set to contest the Dhaka-17 by-polls on the ruling party ticket, with the “Boat” symbol.
Balloting for the Dhaka-17 by-polls began at 8am on Monday.
The voting will continue till 4pm.
Voters were seen at several polling centres in Banani and Gulshan since 7am amidst the rain.
