Voters of four polling centres under Satkhira 2 constituency refrained from casting votes in the 10th parliamentary elections, out of fear of further violence. They have witnessed waves of continuous attacks by Jamaat-Shibir over the last month.
Although joint forces started drives in the district on December 18, it did not make voters feel secure enough go to polling centres and exercise their democratic rights.
The four centres are Agardari Aminia Kamil Madrasa, Agardari Mahila Madrasa and Dhalbaria Government Primary School at Agardari Union and Godaghata Govt Primary School at Shibpur Union. There are a total of 8,055 voters in the centres. Only 788 voters out of 64,287 cast votes at the 27 polling centres in the constituency.
Talking to people from all walks of life, the Dhaka Tribune came to know that voters in the district did not cast votes because they feared further attacks by the anti-liberation forces.
Locals say they did not dare go to polling centres, as leaders and activists of Jamaat and Shibir had been attacking Awami League leaders and activists, as well as minority people.
On Saturday night, anti-election activists clashed with law enforcers and blasted crude bombs throughout the day of the elections. Moreover, candidates in the constituency did not conduct election campaigning properly.
Abdul Aziz, presiding officer of Agardari Aminia Kamil Madrasa, said as cocktails were blasted on the election-day, voters feared casualties and had not come to cast votes.
Agardari Union Awami League General Secretary Tapan Acharja said voters did not come to cast votes out of fear of fresh attacks by Jamaat activists.
Preferring not to be named, a local Jatiya Party leader said plain clothes police arrested Agardari union parishad chairman and BNP leader Anwarul Islam. After a few hours, it was reported that Islam was killed in a gun fight with joint forces. The killing discouraged the common people from going to polling centres.
In Satkhira 2 constituency, 14-party alliance nominated candidate Mir Mostak Ahmed Rabi was elected. He got 32,859 votes while his nearest contestant, president of Sramik League Saiful Karim Sabu, got 15,789 votes.
In Satkhira 1 constituency (Tala-Kolaroa), the AL-led 14-party alliance nominated candidate, Workers Party General Secretary Advocate Mustafa Lutfullah, was elected. He got 92,200 votes while his nearest contestant, S M Mujibur Rahman, got 23,613 votes.
