Many across the country exercised their voting rights for the first time yesterday, at the 11th national election. Over a crore new voters were registered since the 10th parliamentary polls in 2014, while many others who had become voters before did not vote in the last national election. A few first-time voters shared their experiences with The Daily Star.

Araf Momen Aka

Polling centre: IES School and College (Dhaka-18)

Judging by empty roads on my way to the polling centre, I thought not many people were voting. But near my centre, I saw a large number of people standing outside the gate. People were pouring into the centre, and the line kept getting bigger.

Everything seemed organised. There were separate queues for voters, and Ansar guards stationed for crowd control were making sure that the queues stayed in order. Elderly voters were being gently escorted to and out of their booths by the guards.

I was done with my vote quickly. The electoral staffers stationed near my booth were amicable. I was not coerced to vote for any particular party.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well my first voting experience went. I'm glad I voted. I also feel a little proud to be able to exercise my franchise as a citizen in the 11th parliamentary election of the country.

Imran Hossain (not real name)

Polling centre: Agrabad Government Colony Girls' High School (Chattogram-11)

It was 10am when I went to vote for the first time in my life. The polling centre, Agrabad Government Colony Girls' High School at CGS Colony, was almost vacant. Only a few police personnel were present at the centre, while activists of the “boat” symbol were present in big numbers all around.

When I went into my polling room, I noticed more men wearing “boat” badges alongside the presiding officers. They marked my thumb and asked me to sign on the ballot book. But they did not hand me the ballot paper once it was signed. Instead, it was passed on to the party activists who stamped the “boat” symbol and asked me to leave. I left the room, dejected.

I expected to be able to vote for the first time in my life but it was a disheartening experience.

Nafis Imtiaz Onish

Polling centre: Lalmatia Mohila College (Dhaka-13)

Considering myself a responsible citizen, I was excited to vote for the first time. So, I decided to start at about 10am for my polling centre, which is a block away from my home. I noticed a handful of rickshaws bearing posters of Sadek Khan, the AL candidate of Dhaka-13.

As I approached the centre, I was greeted by a number of police vehicles. I was expecting to see a long queue at the gate, but to my surprise, there were not many people. There were two makeshift camps where volunteers were giving out voter slips. I had already picked up my voter slip the night before, which spared me from waiting in the small crowd gathered there. Some of them seemed confused as they could not find their voter slips, and were directed to other polling centres.

Inside the polling centre, there were clear directions on where to go. Yet, there were a few men with no noticeable identification checking voting slips and giving out directions. Most police officers were stationed outside, with very few actually inside the centre.

Upon entering my designated room, a polling agent checked my slip while another took my NID, thumbprint and ushered me to an Electronic Voting Machine. The voting process was very intuitive and an automated voice blared out instructions.

As I left, I felt a strange sense of festivity and anxiety in the air, like the worn-out electoral posters adorning my way back home.

Rafia Rahman (not real name)

Polling centre: Tejgaon Model High School (Dhaka-12)

I went to cast my vote around 9:45am with my mother. After I reached the polling centre, I was sent to the second floor while my mother's polling booth was on the ground floor. After I voted for my desired candidate, a woman identifying herself as an “Awami League activist” entered the booth and started screaming at me.

“What did you do? Whom did you vote for?” she asked. She took my ballot paper from my hand and asked me to follow her. All this happened in the presence of the assistant presiding officer, but he did not protest.

Meanwhile, I reported the incident to the police officers present at the polling centre. Moments later, Ward Commissioner Shamima Rahman (of Ward 26) arrived with my ballot paper and took me downstairs. She verbally abused me, and when my mother came to ask what was wrong, Shamima showed my ballot paper to her and said “See what your daughter has done.” She then told us to leave immediately.