First indicators indicated that turnout would be reduced, despite numerous reports of carrot-and-stick inducements intended to increase the poll’s legitimacy.
Out of the almost 4,200 people registered at one polling place in Dhaka’s east, only 111 had cast ballots two hours after election started, according to presiding officer Prashun Goswami.
Shahriar Ahmed, a 32-year-old charity worker, said to AFP,” I do n’t have any interest in participating in this farce.”
” I’d rather see movies at home.”
Some voters claimed that in the past, if they refused to cast their ballots for the ruling Awami League, they would face the forfeiture of the government benefit cards required to access security payment.
Lal Mia, 64, said to AFP in Faridpur’s key neighborhood,” They said we have to vote for them because the state feeds us.”
Last year, the BNP and additional parties staged decades of demonstrations calling for Hasina to resign before the vote.
According to the party, about 25, 000 criticism cadres, including the overall local authority of the BNP, were detained during the ensuing assault. The number is estimated by the authorities at 11, 000.
In the weeks leading up to the election, modest and dispersed protests persisted; they were a shadow of the hundreds of thousands seen at demonstrations last year.
Almost 100,000 police officers, servicemen, and members of the armed forces, according to the election commission, were stationed to maintain order during the vote.
Local elections will remain open until 5 p.m., with results anticipated after nightfall.