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New voters put candidates' quality over party symbol

PORIMOL PALMA AND rafique Sarker, from Rangpur
Sudipta Shaheen, a fresh voter, vfes vcnrenthusiastic about the polls because he thinks his single vote is no less important for victory of an honest and competent candidate.
An honours student of flinajpur Government College. Shaheen was under pressure for his study, but he came to cist vote in Rangpur-6 constituency.
Similar was the case for most first time voters in the region, who believe casting votes by them will help to bring a change in the traditional chaotic politics of the country.
"New voters are very much interested about this year's polls. We want to see good people in parliament. That is why I considered competence of the candidate, instead of the symbol or the party," he told
The Daily Star after casting his vote at Pirganj Government High School polling centre yesterday noon.
This year around 31 per cent of over 8.10 crore voters are new who were expected to make a change in politics by voting the candidates with no records of corruption.
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda at a recent programme in the capital had said that fresh voters could make a dramatic change in the political culture of the country by voting for the honest candidates.
He also reminded the new voters of tire example of the USA that young voters played a very important role in the victory of Barack Obama, the first non-white president in the history of the USA.
Awami League in its manifesto put special emphasis on the young generation by declaring that they would build
a digital Bangladesh by 2021 if voted to power, while BNP and other political parties also announced various programmes to woo the new voters.
Interviews with a number of new voters in several polling centres in Rangpur yesterday, however, suggest that they considered personality and competence of the candidates instead of particular party or symbol.
"We the young people want the candidates who will really work for the development of the society, instead of their self interests," Shaheen said.
Housewife Rasheda Begum, who was standing in a very long queue of the women at Pirgachha Degree College polling centre, said, "This is tlie first time 1 am going to cast vote. I am ready to wait long tiringhours for it," she said.
Asked about her considerations in casting vote, Rasheda
said, "It is the candidates' quality and attitude towards people of the region. I know the contribution of a few politicians in this area. I have considered their activities in choosing the candidate."
The change in attitude was witnessed not only among the new voters, but also the elderly people, especially among the women voters, whose presence in polling centres was noticeable.
"Now people are much more aware than ever before about selecting candidates as the media has played a very good role, urging the people to vote for honest and competent candidates," said Manz.il Ara, a housewife.
"We are casting vote considering the candidates’ honesty, not the symbols. 1 hope the new government will truly work for prosperity of the country forward instead of creating conflict on the streets," she said.