People’s trust in vote sees drastic erosion

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Udisa Islam
Published : 04:00, Mar 20, 2019 | Updated : 00:02, Mar 21, 2019

Hindu voters wait to cast their vote outside a voting center during the general election in Dhaka, Bangladesh December 30, 2018. REUTERSJust like the 11th national election and the Dhaka city corporation polls, the upazila elections also saw a sparse presence of voters. Specialists look at this as a sign of people losing trust in the voting system.
Voters will come to the booths when a conducive atmosphere for vote is ensured.
On Monday, the Residential Model School and College centre in Sri Mangal was empty and the presiding officer said that in the first two hours, only 76 votes were cast.
A businessman voter in Sylhet says: “It makes no difference if one casts a vote or not, I have asked all my family members to refrain from going to the centre.”
Meanwhile, AL candidate for Rajnagar upazila and current chairman, Askir Khan, boycotted the votes citing irregularities.
He accused AL independent candidate, Shahjahan Khan, of using force to take control of voting centres and casting fake votes.
Though at the end of the day, EC secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, has said that the second phase of the fifth upazila elections was held in a peaceful and neutral manner.
Election specialists say that voters have lost trust and people are not coming since they find the candidates unsuitable.
Teacher of development studies of Dhaka University, Kazi Maruful Islam, says: “Due to the lingering negative impact of the national elections, people have lost interest to go to voting centres.”
People are wary if their opinion will finally be translated into the vote box or not.
Former election commissioner, Md Shahnewaz told Bangla Tribune: “When big parties boycott elections and the result becomes inevitable, voters lose interest.”
To change this, a conducive atmosphere for voting needs to be ensured and politicians will have to be brought back to politics, he observed, adding: “If there’s only one party then why will people feel encouraged?”
Badiul Alam Mazumder of good governance platform, SUJON, says: “People have become apathetic since the electoral structure has crumbled.”
This is an ominous sign for democracy; political consensus is essential at this moment, he opined.
The same sentiment was echoed by human rights worker Sultana Kamal.
“People have lost trust on democratic procedures; when a voters do not see their opinion reflected in the results, they will automatically lose interest.”

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