First 2 hours: Turnout low in many centres

The voter turnout in many polling centres in the national election was seen to be low in the first two hours after polls opened at 8:00am today.

Our correspondents, visiting polling centres in the capital and across the country, found a thin presence of voters.

At Azimpur Girls School and College in Dhaka-7, 50 votes were cast till 9:30am. Total voters in this centre is 2,914.

Khan Md Faisal, presiding officer of Azimpur School and College, confirmed the number to The Daily Star. The atmosphere in the polling station was good, he added.

Polling agents of boat were present from the start of polling.

Four polling agents of plough, the Jatiya Party's electoral symbol, came to the centre after polling started at 8:00am. However, they were not allowed to enter as they could not show the appointment letter. Awami League polling agents were present in every booth of the polling station. A polling agent of Ektara was present.

In three centres of Dhaka-2 and Dhaka-19, a total of 525 votes out of 9,162 were cast till 10:00am.

In Dhaka-19, a total of 175 votes were cast by 9:31am at Savar Islamia Kamil Madrasa, said Prof Abdul Malek, the presiding officer at the polling centre.

Meanwhile, in two centres within the Dhaka-2 constituency, 98 votes were cast at Al Nasir Laboratory School and 127 votes at Legend International School until 10:00am, according to the presiding officers Shibli Zaman and Mollah Nazrul Islam.

No queue of voters was seen at those centres, while gatherings were observed in front of each centres.

At two polling centres in the Bright School and College under Dhaka-5, 200 votes – including 50 female voters -- out of a total of 3,436 were cast till 10:00am.

Presiding officers of the two centres Taslim Arif (for female polling centre) and Akram Hossain Shikder (male polling centre) told The Daily Star that they think voting turnout was low to some extent due to cold weather. 

Polling agents for Awami League candidate Harun Ur Rashid Munna, Independent candidates Md Kamrul Islam Ripan and Mashiur Rahman Mollah Sajal, among the total 14 candidates, were seen at the centres.

Only 145 votes were cast in the first two hours at Adarsha High School and College in Dania, Jatrabari. Among the votes, 104 were male voters and 41 female voters. 

Though the number of candidates are 14, polling agents of three candidates -- boat, eagle and truck -- are present. 

There were no queues at the centre. 

Presence of activists of all three candidates were also found outside the centre. 

Total voters of the centre are 5,183 (2,669 male, 2,514 female), according to presiding officers of the centre. 

Turnout at polling centres in Old Dhaka was very low in the first hour. 

Around 100 voters, including around 30 women, cast votes at the two polling centres of Hammadia High School till 9:00am.

The number of male voters is 3,062 and female voters is 2,830 at these two polling centres under Dhaka-7 constituency.

Presiding officer Ibrahim Khalil and Ansar member Mohammad Parvez told The Daily Star that people in Old Dhaka habituality wake up around 11:00am. That is why, voters are yet to come to the polling centres.

Voters' number will increase after 12:00pm, they hoped.

Polling agents of Awami League candidate Mohammad Solaiman Salim and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) Haji Mohammad Idris Bepari were seen at the centres.

Law enforcers have been deployed at the two centres.

In Dhaka-19, a total of 175 votes were cast by 9:30am, said Prof Abdul Malek, the presiding officer at Savar Islamia Kamil Madrasa centre.

Meanwhile, in two centres under the Dhaka-2 constituency, no votes were cast at Al Nasir Laboratory School and Legend International School until 8:30am, according to the presiding officers of those centres.

At Baliadanga Secondary School in Jhenaidah's Kaliganj, 99 votes were cast till 9:30am.

Md Pavel Rahman, presiding officer of the centre, said the total number of voters under the centre is 2,447.

The early voter turnout at the Kamrunnesa Govt Girls High School in Dhaka was low, said our reporter who visited the centre around 9:15am today.

The presence of Awami League candidate Sayeed Khokon's campaigners and supporters was visible.

At the polling centre of Mohila College in Mymensingh-4 (Sadar), just 200 votes were cast till 9:45am.

Md Solaiman Sarker, presiding officer of the centre, said the total voters at the centre is 2,749.

In Sylhet-6, the total number of voters under Panchakhanda Horgovinda School polling centre is 2,505, but only 122 people exercised their franchise till 9:40am, said presiding officer Ariful Rahman.

"Usually, the voter turnout is poor in the morning but we hope that it will increase as the day progress."

Agents of Jatiya Party and Trinamool BNP were not present at all polling booths.

At Rajshahi Bholanath Bisweswar Hindu Academy polling centre in Rajshahi-2, two elderly voters approached the centre shivering in the early morning chill 12 minutes after polls opened.

Santosh Shing, 82, and his son Arun Shing, 62, arrived from Sagarpara.

"My son is ill. After my morning walk, I brought him to vote," said Santosh, a worker at a student dormitory in Shaheb Bazar.

His two other sons and family members will go to cast their votes later in the morning, said the elderly man.

After the father and son, half an hour passed before the centre saw any other voter.

In the first hour, only 65 votes, 1.7 percent of the total 3,862, were cast at the centre, said Md Mahtab Uddin, the presiding officer.

Our Rajshahi correspondent visited three other centres at Shah Makhdum College, Government Laboratory School, and Rajshahi Government City College and witnessed similar situations.

The presiding officers said the voters are likely to visit the centres later in the morning when thee weather becomes warmer.