‘I cast my vote after nearly 17 years,’ voter expresses joy

“I cast my vote after 17 years. I came early and stood first in the queue. It feels different. This joy cannot be expressed in words,” said Shahid Mia, who came to vote at the Maleka Banu Ideal School polling centre near Abdullahpur Bus Stand in Uttara under the Dhaka-18 constituency.

He stood in the queue before 7:00am, becoming the first voter at the centre, as voting began at 7:30am on Thursday (February 12).

Speaking to Jago News, Shahid Mia said, “I woke up at 6:00am and stood in the queue half an hour later. I cast my vote after nearly 17 years. It feels different. We have seen a lot over the years. Being able to vote after such a long time is itself a joy.”

Another voter, Haji Afzal Chishti, said, “I am involved in BNP politics. I have faced attacks and cases. After so long, I have been able to come and vote. Just the thought of casting my vote feels like the joy of Eid.”

Nasima, the first female voter in the queue at the centre, said, “I came early, so I stood first among the women in the queue. I feel happy and excited.” Another voter, Sumu, expressed similar sentiments.

In this constituency, SM Jahangir Hossain of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), contesting with the paddy sheaf symbol, and Ariful Islam of the National Citizen Party (NCP), contesting with the water lily bud symbol, are the main contenders. The primary competition at this centre is expected to be between these two candidates. The BNP candidate will also cast his vote at this centre.

A total of 10 candidates initially contested in the Dhaka-18 constituency. However, Mahmudur Rahman Manna of Nagorik Oikya announced the withdrawal of his candidacy on Sunday night (February 8). As a result, the number of candidates in the constituency now stands at nine.