Voting is under way for the post of mayor for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) by-election and 36 wards of both north and south city corporations. However, from 8am till half past ten in the morning, not a single vote was cast in two centres.

Presence of voters in other centres is also sparse.

At three voting centres for women in Banasree and east Rampura, not a single vote was cast. Presiding officer of a centre at Holy Crescent International School, says, “Not having voters is discouraging, since there is a long weekend, people have gone to their villages.”

Hopefully, women will finish their household work and come in the afternoon, he hoped.

Another presiding officer of the women’s voting centre 959 said that not a single vote was cast in two hours. Reportedly at the men’s voting centre 961 ten to twelve votes were cast though in the first two hours no vote was cast.

At centre 962, around fifty votes were cast while at 960 around 100 votes were cast.

There is hope that once the weather improves people will show up.