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Enthusiasm runs low in Savar

RASHIDUL HASAN, back from Dhamrai
It was 9:30am. Although one and a half hours had elapsed since the voting began, only one ballot was cast at a polling booth at Phulbaria Govt Primary School in Savar upazila.
However, a total of 150 votes were cast at other booths of the centre within the same period.
Severed polling agents were seen loitering outside while the election officials concerned were passing time idly at the polling centre.
The same picture was seen in many other polling centres in Savar upazila.
Election to the most crucial local government body upazila parishad, also viewed as 'mini-parliament' by many experts, was held yesterday with low turnout.
When a polling agent was asked why he was strolling outside the polling booth at the Phulbaria Govt Primary School centre, he said, "No voter came to the booth since the voting started at 8:00am. That's why I came out of the booth."
After making the remark, he immediately returned to the booth at about 10:00am.
“It is very surprising that only 150 votes were cast in one and a half hours since voting began at this centre. Around 800 votes were cast within the same time at the polling centre in the ninth
SEE PAGE 15 COL 8
FROM PAGE 16 parliamentary polls." said the presiding officer of Phulbaria Primary School centre, who was also in charge of the polling centre during the national polls.
No long queue was seen in any of the 386 polling centres in Dhamrai and Savar upazilas.
Only 500, out of3,080 voters cast ballots at Jahangirnagar University School and College centre in three and a half hours since the votingbegan.
Election officials were seen sitting idly at the Raj Phulbaria. Phulbaria Govt Primary School and Hardinge High School polling centres between 9:00am and 11:45am.
"Many farmers are not interested in casting votes as they remain busy working in paddy fields in the Boro season." said Romesh, a voter in Dhamrai upazila.
Presiding officers Laila Sarker and Nasiruddin at Hardinge High School centre said lack of interests among voters about upazila polls and little gap between national and upazila elections are the main reasons behind the low turnout.