The excruciating search for an 'excited' voter | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Get the Paper
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Sunday
July 20, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Get the Paper
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2025
The excruciating search for an 'excited' voter

Panorama

Jannatul Naym Pieal
18 July, 2023, 11:25 am
Last modified: 18 July, 2023, 12:05 pm

Related News

  • Tarique urges all to stay alert against election sabotage plot
  • Trump administration tells US diplomats abroad not to opine on foreign elections
  • Rizvi alleges 'silent conspiracy' over polls, demands reforms, fixed election date
  • No election without reforms: Nahid
  • Women groups rally for direct elections to reserved seats in Jatiya Sangsad

The excruciating search for an 'excited' voter

Deserted polling centres, indifferent voters and idle polling agents sum up a lacklustre election for Dhaka-17 constituency

Jannatul Naym Pieal
18 July, 2023, 11:25 am
Last modified: 18 July, 2023, 12:05 pm
Instead of a celebratory atmosphere, there was an attitude of plain indifference towards the election. File Photo: TBS
Instead of a celebratory atmosphere, there was an attitude of plain indifference towards the election. File Photo: TBS

It was around 8:30am. As I began my walk from Mohakhali Amtoli Circle towards Gulshan, I felt a few raindrops falling on my hair. Though the rain did not start pouring down in full force, the sky looked overcast, and the sun was nowhere to be found.

It was a beautiful day indeed. The road was nearly empty, having only one-fourth of the total pedestrians it usually has around this time on a normal day. 

But it was not a normal day. It was the day of the by-election in the Dhaka-17 constituency, that prompted the Ministry of Public Administration to announce a general holiday along with restrictions on vehicular movement in some parts of Gulshan, Banani,  Baridhara, and Cantonment areas.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

It was a day when all the ingredients were kept in place to make the day a grand affair for the people of the most affluent parliamentary constituency in the country. 

However, I was not quite ready for whatever I witnessed afterwards throughout the day. 

Instead of a celebratory atmosphere, there hung a plain indifference, with many turning their back on the event and already waiting for "the real deal" which will take place early next year.  

Photo: TBS
Photo: TBS

'Just like a regular Friday' 

Only a few minutes ago, I had an argument with my Pathao rider, for he did not want to take me through this road, in spite of me having a press card. "I might enter the street now, but how would I safely exit without your card?" he reasoned. 

I realised what made him so wary immediately. There was a police check post ahead to stop all sorts of vehicles including motorbikes. In front of me, some were also fined for entering the street and failing to show any valid reason behind their movement on a 'holiday'. 

Soon, I reached the Government Titumir College, one of the most important polling centres in the vicinity under Ward-20. I had anticipated seeing a long queue of voters at the main entrance of the institution. But what I found out instead took me by surprise. 

There were hundreds of young polling agents scattered in front of the college, most of them with ID cards on behalf of the Awami League candidate, Professor Mohammad Ali Arafat. 

But there wasn't any sign of voters. I stood there for nearly half an hour, but in-between that period, only a handful of voters turned up to cast their votes. 

"There was a time when election days felt like Eid days. But nowadays they have become like regular Fridays with not many people on the streets,"  rued Hasibur Rahman, one of the voters after coming out of the centre. 

Photo: TBS
Photo: TBS

'More caps than crops' 

From Titumir Government College, I went to the Gulshan Model School and College centre under Ward-18, where I met an elderly voter, Mukhshedur Rahman. 

When I asked what he thought about the election, he replied to me with another question: "Have you read Syed Waliullah's 'Lalsalu'?" As a matter of fact, it was a part of our syllabus for the HSC exam, and I nodded. 

"There's a line in that novel that 'there are more caps than crops,' and today you can see the same," he said.  

When I pondered about it, it turned out that indeed the same could quite aptly be applied to describe the day's scenario as well. 

Not only in Government Titumir College, but on my way to other polling centres and inside them, I found a similar trend: there were way too many of the 'other people', instead of voters.  

I walked from Titumir College to Gulshan-2, and during that four-kilometre walk, I went past nearly 500 members of armed forces, including police, BGB, RAB and Ansar. 

Also, outside the Gulshan Model School and College, there were local Awami League leaders and their polling agents in hundreds, while on the school premise, there were at least 70-80 journalists from different media outlets, all eagerly waiting to see if the 'posh' people of the neighbourhood were coming to cast votes.

Another reason behind such a crowd in this institution was the impending appearance of the Awami League candidate Arafat to cast his own vote. 

He was supposed to arrive at 10am, but he was more than an hour late. Eventually, as soon as he arrived, all the journalists thronged around him, desperate to get a glimpse and a 'bite' of Bangladesh's very own Shashi Tharoor.

But ironically, in the first two hours after 8am, this centre saw casting of only 10 votes, despite being the centre of the ruling party's candidate. 

Photo: TBS
Photo: TBS

'Futile for five months'

Almost an identical situation was discovered in the next two centres I visited: Kalachandpur Government Primary School under Ward-18 and Green Heaven International School under Ward-15. 

The only difference was that at these venues, journalists were less in numbers but polling agents more than enough to make up for them. But as usual, the voter turnout was very low. 

I wondered what the reason could be for such a low turnout of voters, and through my interactions with several voters, a common pattern emerged.

"This election seems meaningless. Whoever wins it will be an MP for just five months. What's the point of this?," questioned Mofizur Rahman, a voter from Kalachandpur. 

Another voter, Monira Begum from Manikdi, also reiterated the same. "How can one be motivated to cast a vote if the winner doesn't remain in power for a longer period?"  

There may be other reasons as well, but the fact that this by-election has an expiry date of only five months is really a big turn off for many. 

The Dhaka-17 seat became vacant following the death of popular actor and freedom fighter, Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque on 14 May this year.

"The general election in January next year will be the real deal. You won't see such indifference from the people then," predicted Monira Begum.

'Hero Alom's popularity will further increase' 

Another thing that made the by-election less interesting is its lack of competition. 

Especially the Awami League supporters and its polling agents were firm in their opinion that it's a "one-horse race" with Arafat all set to have his crowning moment by the end of the day.  

While that may not be 100% true with there being a significant craze about the popular content creator and actor Hero Alom, it really turned out that many voters were not much familiar with other candidates. 

"I only know Arafat and Hero Alom. They are popular faces whom I have seen many times on TV or Facebook. I don't know others. Who are they?" asked Khadiza Akhter, a voter from Manikdi. 

Hero Alom previously came close to becoming member of parliament on multiple occasions, with the last time losing by only 834 votes in Bogura-4 constituency. 

"I believe Hero Alom has a bigger chance this time. He could be like one of those Bollywood heroes who went on to become national leaders from simple common men," Khadiza said smiling. 

While I was having this conversation with her at around 3:45 pm, news broke that Hero Alom had been at the polling centre in Banani's Bidyaniketan School and College grounds about an hour ago. 

"Look, how his popularity skyrockets even further after this!" announced many around us upon hearing the news. 

Features / Top News

election / voter / electoral

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Tarique Rahman. Sketch: TBS
    Tarique urges all to stay alert against election sabotage plot
  • Tottho Apas have been protesting in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka for months, with no headway in sight. Photo: Mehedi Hasan
    From empowerment to exclusion: The crisis facing Bangladesh’s Tottho Apas
  • Economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya. File photo: UNB
    Autocracy removed, yet hesitation to speak freely remains: Debapriya

MOST VIEWED

  • Representational Photo: Collected
    Railway allocates special trains for Jamaat's national rally in Dhaka
  • Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and SpaceX Vice President Lauren Dreyer after a meeting at state guest house Jamuna on 18 July 2025. Photo: Focus Bangla
    SpaceX VP Lauren Dreyer praises Bangladesh's efficiency in facilitating Starlink launch
  • Dollar rate falling fast – what it means for the economy
    Dollar rate falling fast – what it means for the economy
  • Governments often rely on foreign loans. Russia’s loans covered 90% of the Rooppur Nuclear Power plant project's cost. Photo: Collected
    Loan tenure for Rooppur plant extended 
  • Representational image. Photo: Unsplash
    Mobile operators give 1GB free data to users observing 'Free Internet Day' today
  • Smuggled goods seized at Sylhet border on 18 July 2025. Photo: TBS
    BGB seizes smuggled Indian goods worth Tk6cr from Sylhet border areas

Related News

  • Tarique urges all to stay alert against election sabotage plot
  • Trump administration tells US diplomats abroad not to opine on foreign elections
  • Rizvi alleges 'silent conspiracy' over polls, demands reforms, fixed election date
  • No election without reforms: Nahid
  • Women groups rally for direct elections to reserved seats in Jatiya Sangsad

Features

Tottho Apas have been protesting in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka for months, with no headway in sight. Photo: Mehedi Hasan

From empowerment to exclusion: The crisis facing Bangladesh’s Tottho Apas

2h | Panorama
The main points of clashes were in Jatrabari, Uttara, Badda, and Mirpur. Violence was also reported in Mohammadpur. Photo: TBS

20 July 2024: At least 37 killed amid curfew; Key coordinator Nahid Islam detained

2h | Panorama
Jatrabari in the capital looks like a warzone as police, alongside Chhatra League men, swoop on quota reform protesters. Photo: Mehedi Hasan

19 July 2024: At least 148 killed as government attempts to quash protests violently

1d | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

Curfews, block raids, and internet blackouts: Hasina’s last ditch efforts to cling to power

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

After Gopalganj, the reason why NCP is facing obstacles in Cox's Bazar?

After Gopalganj, the reason why NCP is facing obstacles in Cox's Bazar?

4h | TBS Today
What does Jamaat Nayeb Ameer Abdullah Taher say about reforms?

What does Jamaat Nayeb Ameer Abdullah Taher say about reforms?

4h | TBS Today
The tendency of central banks to buy gold is increasing worldwide.

The tendency of central banks to buy gold is increasing worldwide.

5h | Others
Sarjisra’s Message at Jamaat’s Suhrawardy Udyan’s assembly

Sarjisra’s Message at Jamaat’s Suhrawardy Udyan’s assembly

5h | TBS Today
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net