Dhaka 10 by-poll: Morning sees low turnout amid COVID-19 fear
Dhaka-10 was vacant as Awami League MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh resigned on December 29 to contest the Dhaka South City Corporation election.
The morning session of the Dhaka 10 by-election saw low voter turnout amid the fear of coronavirus outbreak.
Voters at the polling station were served with hand sanitisers at the entrance of the polling stations.
A polling station at Meherunnisa School and College in the Crescent Road was seen almost empty from the morning. There are six polling centres at the station.
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At 10.30, Nazrul Islam Babul, councillor of Dhaka South City Corporation ward 16, entered into the school escorted by a group of supporters.
After a few minutes, he was seen calling someone over the cell phone, "Send your wife and children. Vote casting is very poor."
Subrata Devnath, presiding officer of the centre, said, "A centre for 2120 female voters saw only 17 till 10:30 am."
"40 out of 2028 male voters casted their vote at another centre till the same time," said another presiding officer named Nure Alam.
The same picture was seen in other polling stations too.
"At the Khan Ahsan Govt Primary School at Free School Street, one of four polling centre for 3,017 female voters saw only 15 casts till 10:20 am," said the centre's presiding officer Ahasan Habib.
The voting began at 9 am and will end at 5 pm.
The Dhaka-10 was vacant as Awami League MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh resigned on December 29 to contest the Dhaka South City Corporation election.
