A spontaneous and vibrant turnout of young and female voters marked the 13th parliamentary election across polling centres in Dhaka-11 on Thursday.
There were no reports of violence or any untoward incidents, as police, Ansar, BGB, and military personnel actively ensured the maintenance of law and order throughout the day.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus visited the Badda High School polling centre in the morning for an inspection.
At nearly 20 polling centres across the constituency, the main competition was between the “Paddy Sheaf” and “Shapla Bud” symbols, with significant interest from the public.
At the Ideal School and College polling centre, voting began at 7:30 am. Prior to the start of voting, presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and party polling agents were seen taking their posts. Many voters had already formed long lines outside the centre, creating an atmosphere of festivity.
At the beginning of the voting, voter turnout was notable, and the process continued smoothly. As the day progressed, waiting lines grew longer, with a significant portion of the voters being young first-time voters.
“This is my first time voting, and it feels amazing. It’s a feeling I’ve never had before.” Another voter added, “I didn’t vote in previous elections, but today I’m here, and I voted safely,” one voter at Ideal School expressed excitement.
A university student came with her father to vote and described the experience as “like the joy of Eid.” “My friends came along, and we all stood together in line to vote,” she said.
Voters were not allowed to enter the voting booth with mobile phones. They deposited their phones with polling agents before entering the booths. The presiding officer regularly monitored each booth to ensure smooth proceedings.
At Ideal School, there were three polling stations across two buildings. According to the presiding officers, a total of 11,079 male voters were registered across the three stations.
Another polling station at Holy Crescent International School and College, designated for female voters, recorded nearly 10,000 women voters. As the day wore on, female voter turnout increased, and long lines extended well beyond the polling centre.
One elderly voter, speaking emotionally to TIMES, said, “Today, I voted, and it may be my last vote. We were once denied the right to vote. Now, tears come to my eyes as I cast my ballot.”
A housewife waiting in line said, “I’m not bothered by the wait at all. In previous elections, I came to vote and found the centre empty, only to be told my vote had already been cast. Today, despite the long line, I’m happy to wait.”
At Ideal School, no untoward incidents occurred, but at Holy Crescent School in the afternoon, a verbal altercation and scuffle broke out between members of the National Citizen Party and BNP. Police intervened and brought the situation under control.
Voter queues extend beyond boundaries
At the women-only polling centre at Khaled Haidar Memorial High School on Ullon Road in East Rampura, long queues of female voters were observed from the morning. This trend continued until 9 am, after which the numbers slightly decreased. After 10:30 am, voter turnout increased again and continued until midday. At times, queues extended beyond the school boundary.
A variety of female voters, from housewives to working professionals, were visible in large numbers.
A police officer stationed at the Khaled Haidar School polling station told TIMES, “Multiple layers of security have been set up here. The law-and-order situation is good, and there’s no threat of unpleasant incidents.”
In the morning, MA Kayyum, the candidate for the “Paddy Sheaf” symbol, visited the polling centre at Ekramunnessa College. He told TIMES, “The voting process is peaceful, and voter turnout is massive. I am hopeful of victory.”
GM Hasan, the president of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s North Rampura youth wing, was working for the “Shapla Bud” symbol at the Khaled Haidar School polling station. He said, “We have followed the party’s instructions and tried to campaign at every voter’s doorstep. The voting process is proceeding peacefully, and I hope the people’s mandate will be in our favour.”
