Apathy runs deep among young voters
Sukanta Roy was 19 when he first got the chance to vote in 2014.
Excited, he woke up early to head to the polling centre in his constituency in Dhaka with his father and get that first blue line on his thumb.
"When we reached, the polling official told my father his name wasn't on the list. My father said it was impossible and insisted on helping the official find his name.
"He found it, but it showed a vote was already cast in his name. It completely deflated me. We just ended up going back home without having cast vote."
This ultimately left Sukanta, now 28, so demotivated that he didn't consider going back to a polling centre again – including this year.
Like him, many young voters have been showing apathy towards the polls, owing to bitter experiences of the past. They also believe the election lost its significance with the main opposition BNP and allies boycotting it once again.
Some spoke of frustrations for not ever being able to vote since becoming a voter post-2008.
The 2008 parliamentary election is considered the last free and fair polls.
Like the two previous polls, this year's too begged the question: "Do I even have a choice of who to vote for?"
WHY HE DIDN'T VOTE: "I wasn't allowed inside the polling centre in the 2018 polls. I opted not to vote in the 2014 election as it was dominated by a single party, and I didn't vote this year for the same reason... Those who conducted the election don't care about my vote; they'll triumph anyway."
WHY SHE VOTED: "When I was in school, a teacher of mine told me about how many women fought for the right to vote. After they sacrificed so much so that I have this right as a woman, why shouldn't I exercise it?"
This question rang louder for those whose first polls experiences were in 2014 and 2018 – both of which were marred by walkovers, boycotts and rigging.
According to the Election Commission data, there were around 10 million young voters, who had voted in earlier polls, and around 15 million first-time voters, registered to vote this election.
Saira Rahman, a young entrepreneur living in the capital's Uttara, when asked why she preferred not to vote, said, "What's the point in going to a polling centre early in the morning in this cold? I'm sure like the last time, my vote was given on my behalf."
After two back-to-back disappointing elections -- one in which she could not enter the polling centre and another in which she was a victim of vote fraud -- she didn't feel like trying to vote this year.
Like her, Habibur Rahman, who works at a financial organisation in Gazipur and is in his early thirties, did not vote.
"I wasn't allowed inside the polling centre in the 2018 polls. I opted not to vote in the 2014 election as it was dominated by a single party, and I didn't vote this year for the same reason ... Those who conducted the election don't care about my vote; they'll triumph anyway."
Shuva Dasgupta, a voter in Chattogram-9, shared similar sentiments.
In his first election in 2014, he refrained from voting due to apathy towards the whole electoral affair. "But in 2018, I went to cast my vote. As soon as I entered the polling booth, I was told my vote had already been cast!"
Noorjahan Kabir, 32, an entrepreneur in Dhaka, believes the spirit of voting is gone due to the lack participation in the polls. "It's crucial for the two major parties to engage in dialogue and contribute to the establishment of a truly democratic nation."
A voter since 2016, she was not allowed to enter the polling centre by ruling party men in 2018. As her fear of violence and rigging overrode her desire to vote, she refrained from voting this year as well.
Meanwhile, NGO worker Ridwanul Haque, who became a voter in Khagrachhari in 2009, did not vote both in 2014 and 2018 due to what he said was a "lack of candidates worth voting for".
This year was no different for him. "My vote is important. I prefer not to vote in this election as I cannot term it an election. It is rather a selection."
Though many have chosen to refrain from voting, others had their own reasons to go to the voting booths yesterday.
"When I was in school, a teacher of mine told me about how many women fought for the right to vote. After they sacrificed so much so that I have this right as a woman, why shouldn't I exercise it?" said Nazia Hoque, 32, a Dhaka voter who first voted in 2014.
Tarikul Islam, a resident of Faridpur Sadar upazila, became voter just ahead of the 2014 election. He, however, could not cast his first vote as the AL nominee in his constituency won unopposed that year. In the next polls, he believed the atmosphere was not conducive enough for him to go to the polling centre.
"This year, however, the competition was heated between the Awami League and independent candidates. The environment was different and so I decided to cast my vote this time. I was able to do so without obstruction."
On the other hand, Ayesha Nijhum, 23, a resident of Gazipur and a recent BBA graduate from Jagannath University, was thrilled to cast her first vote.
"The enthusiasm in my area was palpable, especially as the competition between the Awami League candidate and the independent was intense. I have already voted and can't wait to see who wins!"
Like her, many first-time voters were excited.
Mrittika, a 21-year-old student of Dhaka University, said, "While there was no particular party on my mind, I still wanted to vote and I did because I have the right to. It was exciting for me to cast my first vote."
At the end of the day, the sentiments among the young electors was a melting pot of "to do or not to do", as expressed by Saudia Afrin, a senior executive at a private firm, who did not vote this year.
"One part of me thought I shouldn't be a part of an election like this, while the other part said it doesn't matter anyway. I ultimately ended up not going to vote."
(Our correspondents from different constituencies contributed to this report.)