DNCC by-polls sees low voter turnout

Mayor elections to Dhaka North City Corporation saw low voter turnout in the morning hours.

Polling officials said that voters could not go to the centres in the morning due to rain that has been lashing the country for the last few days.

Voting began at 8:00am through 1,286 voting centres in Dhaka north. The total number of voters in this demarcation stands around 30.35 lakh.

At Little Flower International School in Kazipara, only 14 votes were cast until 9:14am, says Khan Humayun Kabir, presiding officer of the election centre.

Kalyanpur Girls School in Kalyanpur saw no voters until 10:00am. According to official charts, a total of 2,158 voters are supposed to cast vote there.

Juvenile Care School at Mirpur Lalkuti saw 32 votes cast when reported around 10:40am, said Mohsin Mia, presiding officer. There are 1,808 votes in the centre.

At TNT Adarsha High School in Mohakhali, only one vote was cast in two-and-half hours in a booth, said Assistant Presiding Officer Afzal Rahman. 

Election to councillor posts in 36 new wards 18 under the DNCC and 18 under the Dhaka South City Corporation – also started this morning.

The voting will continue till 4:00pm without any break.

The mayoral by-polls lost its appeal after some major political parties including the BNP boycotted it claiming that a free and fair election is not possible under the current Awami League government.

The mayoral post fell vacant following the death of Annisul Huq on November 30, 2017. He had been elected mayor on April 28, 2015.

A total of five candidates are vying for the mayor post while 116 for the councillor positions.

The five candidates are: Atiqul Islam of Awami League; Shafin Ahmed of Jatiya Party; Anisur Rahman of the National People's Party, Shahin Khan of the Progressive Democratic Party and independent candidate Abdur Rahim.

The electioneering officially began on February 11 and ended on February 26 midnight.

The total number of voters in the mayoral by-polls is around 30.35 lakh and polling centres 1,286.

For the councillor election to the DNCC, around 5.9 lakh people are expected to vote. Besides, 45 candidates are vying for six councillor posts reserved for women.

According to the Election Commission sources, 19 law enforcers were deployed at each polling station while 23 for each “important” polling station. Besides, 72 executive magistrates will work in Dhaka north city areas and 24 others in Dhaka south city areas for today's election.

Source: thedailystar