It was 11am yesterday when Khademul Islam was with three friends playing carom beside his home near Haludghar Government Primary School in Pabna’s Santhia Upazilla, a polling centre in the 10th national elections.
The polling centre was empty except for the officials engaged in election work - the presiding officer, polling agents and law enforcement personnel.
According to Raman Kumar Biswas, the presiding officer of the polling centre, 42 out of 3,405 voters had cast their votes in the three hours since the voting opened.
“This election is for Awami Leaguers not for the countrymen,” Khademul said when he was asked why he was playing instead of voting.
His friends had the same answer. They called the election “one sided.”
“Go to the centre, see how many people are voting,” he told our correspondent. “No one except some Awami League supporters are voting. This election will not be acceptable.”
The same scenario was seen in polling centres across Pabna 1 constituency, which consists of Bera and Santhia upazilla and has 331,864 voters.
Locals and some presiding officers said only 10 % people may vote in the constituency.
Some voters said they did not vote even though they had wanted to. Kamal Hossain was one of them.
“My neighbours will think I am an Awami Leaguer if I cast my vote in front of them, as most of them are not going,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
“I have to live here with neighbours, and I do not want any trouble,” he added.
However others said they had voted in yesterday’s parliamentary elections, as they thought the government had expended a huge amount of money in organising the polls – so people should attend.
“I want to cast my vote for the last time, as I may not live to see another one,” said Shahibala, who is around 70, while returning from the Karomja Dakhil Madrasa Centre. She said people should respect the government’s decision.
Amid the low turnout, supporters of Awami League leader and State Minister for Home Shamsul Hoque Tuku allegedly tried to rig votes in Pabna Sadar.
Tuku’s son Ashik Al Shams allegedly led a gang of some 50 supporters and attacked Shahidnagar Government High School and Satiakola Dakhil Madrassa around noon.
Presiding officers of both the polling stations, Atiqur Rahman and Sakhawat Hossain, made similar complaints. They sent a letter to the TNO.
Thana Nirbahi Officer (TNO) Shafiqul Islam said they would be taking due action. “Those fake votes will be cancelled,” he assured.
Professor Abu Sayeed, former junior information minister and an Independent candidate alleged that Tuku’s supporters were preventing his supporters from voting.
Supporters of Tuku also allegedly attempted to rig polls at Samannapara Government Primary School centre, but police dispelled them by firing blanks.
