A polling center at Bayezid Bostami Cantonment Board High School under Chattogram-5 (Hathazari-Part of city) had a total of 740 voters in the recently held 12th parliamentary election. Only 8 votes were cast in the center. Unfortunately, one of these eight votes was cancelled. The turnout in this center was only 1 per cent. In a sharp contrast, turnout was 80 per cent at Uttar Sadek Nagar Government Primary School polling center in the same constituency. The turnout at 146 polling centers in this constituency was 20.85 per cent.
In Chattogram-2 constituency’s Mazharul Ulum Gausia Fazil Madrasa polling center, the turnout was 98 per cent. A total of 4,015 votes out of 4,094 were cast in the center. Of the total votes cast, 1078 votes were cancelled. Presiding officer Md Asadullah Khalid said these ballot papers were cancelled due to fake voting and as these ballots had no signature. In this constituency, turnout ranged between 10 and 19 per cent in 9 polling centers. In 142 centers in the constituency, turnout was 33 per cent.
Such a huge difference in voter turnout can be seen in different polling centers in the constituencies of Chattogram. Turnout was abnormally high in some polling centers while oddly low in some others. Defeated candidates brought allegations of fake voting and various electoral irregularities in the centers where turnout was too high.
This trend of voting has been found by analyzing the center-wise results by the Election Commission.
Chattogram-11 (Bandar Patenga) saw the lowest turnout among the 16 parliamentary seats of Chattogram. It has a turnout of 20.45 per cent. Turnout was highest 73 per cent in Chattogram-6 (Raozan) seat, followed by 69 per cent in Chattogram-7 (Rangunia). Raozan, Rangunia, Chattogram-9 (Kotwali-Baklia), Chattogram-13 (Anowara) and Chattogram-4 (Sitakunda) had no strong contender of Awami League candidates. Yet, turnout was high in these seats.
Less than 100 votes
In Bandar Patenga constituency, the highest 48 per cent turnout was in Nischintapara Government Primary School. Boat candidate (Awami League’s electoral symbol) bagged 971 votes while the Kettle symbol got 543 in this center.
Less than 100 votes were cast in three polling centers in this constituency. Two centers at Halishahar Ahmad Mia City Corporation Girls High School turnout were 87 and 96 respectively. Turnout percentage in these two centers was 3 and 4 per cent respectively. Ashraful Ulu Muhibullah Madrasa center saw turnout of 3 per cent.
Meanwhile, less than 100 votes were cast in four centers of Hathazari constituency. Only 66 votes, or 2 per cent, were cast at another center on the first and second floors of Bayezid Bostami Cantonment Board High School. Only 80 votes, 3 per cent, were cast at Bright Sun Kindergarten High School center. Turnout was only 3 per cent at Chattogram Cantonment Board High School center with only 72 votes being cast.
100 per cent turnout was shown at Momtazul Ulum Madrasa Center in Chattogram-3 (Sandip). However, presiding officer Gazi Amirul Islam claimed such turnout came as unused ballots were mistakenly shown as cancelled vote.
High turnout in some centers
Turnout was 57 per cent in Chattogram-13 (Anowara-Karnaphuli) seat. Saifuzzaman Chowdhury came victorious in this center. Haildhar Bashiruzzaman Smrity Shikkakendra saw 87 per cent turnout. Boat received 3,187 votes in the center while the nearest candidate received 11 votes.
Koyla Shahid Jakir Hossain Government Primary High School center in Chattogram-1 (Mirsarai) saw 84 per cent turnout. Boat received 1,652 votes here while eagle candidate got 213 votes. Four centers in the seat saw over 60 per cent turnout while nine saw less than 20 per cent. The overall turnout was 40 per cent in the constituency.
Everything was predetermined in this election. It was not participatory
Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury, SHUJAN
Awami League-nominated candidate Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury won in Chattogram-9 where voter turnout was over 34 per cent. Less than 20 per cent of votes were cast at 14 polling stations while over 60 per cent of ballots were cast at 10 centres. More than 70 per cent of votes were cast at the Andarkilla Ward Counsellor Office polling centres.
Voter turnout was over 27 per cent in Chattogram-8. Less than 15 per cent of votes were cast at 19 polling centres and 45-60 per cent at 10 centres. Independent candidate of Awami League Abdus Salam won in this seat.
In Chattogram-16 constituency 60 per cent of votes were cast at two centres, over 20 per cent at 20 centres and less than 20 per cent at five polling centres.
In Chattogram-14 (Chandanaish-parts of Saatkania), an average of 40 per cent of votes were cast at 100 centres, over 80 per cent at four centres and less than 20 per cent of votes were cast at five polling centres. Awami League-nominated candidate Nazrul Islam Chowdhury won in this seat.
In Chattogram-12 (Patia), Awami League-nominated candidate Motaherul Islam Chowdhury won from this seat defeating the independent candidate Shamshul Haque Chowdhury. Voter turnout was 51.54 per cent. Over 80 per cent of votes were cast at six polling centres.
Turnout was 22 per cent in Chattogram-10 (Pahartali-Double Mooring-Khulshi) constituency. Nine polling centers saw over 40 per cent turnout while 7 saw less than 10 per cent. Boat candidate Mohiuddin won in this seat.
Asked about such differences in turnout in different centers, Shushasoner Jonno Nagarik’s (SHUJAN) Chattogram chapter secretary Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury told Prothom Alo, “Everything was predetermined in this election. It was not participatory. That’s why turnout was 1 per cent in some centers while some stamped 100 per cent. The election did not reflect people’s wishes.”
