Voting for the mayoral post in the Dhaka north and 36 councilor posts in both Dhaka city corporations has ended amid low turnout.
Election officials have started counting the votes after polls closed at 4pm; which began at 8am in the Thursday (Feb 28) morning.
Although the overall voter turnout was low, for which the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda blamed the political parties, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the voting centers were teeming with voters.
“The turnout may be low since all political parties are not taking part,” observed the CEC while Kamal said, “It’s not true that the voters have lost enthusiasm for the polls. All the voting centres are crowded.”
The voting for the mayoral post in the DNCC by-polls and councillor posts in 36 extended wards in both city corporations were held in 1,700 centres with about two million registered voters.
Election officials, polling agents, and law-enforcement agents at different centres in the city were seen sitting idle for the first few hours since the voting began at 8am on Thursday.
On Thursday morning election official opened the despite the rain but the sight of voters queuing up was missing.
Voter turnout was comparatively better in the 36 newly added wards in the Dhaka north and south city corporations.
Dhaka north mayoral candidate for the ruling Awami League Atiqul Islam casted his vote at the Habibullah Model School and College voting centre.
“Voter turnout is rather low in this centre,” Atiqul said after casting his franchise.
Another mayor candidate for Dhaka north Shafin Ahmed, who is running on Jatiya Party’s ticket said, “I have visited several centres form morning and have not seen voters.”
People have become apathetic since previous polls have been marked by too many discrepancies, said the rock star turned politician.
The other aspirants for the mayor post are –National People’s Party’s (NPP) Anisur Rahman Dewan, People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Shahin Khan and independent candidate Abdur Rahim.
Dhaka north’s mayoral post fell vacant after the death of former mayor Annisul Huq on Nov 30, 2017.
