Bangladesh Votes for New Parliament in Restoration of Democracy
By Steve Herman
Dhaka
29 December 2008
Sunny weather, combined with voter optimism and a huge security presence throughout the country has resulted in a high turnout for national elections in Bangladesh. The process seems calm compared to previous elections, but there have been some complications with the new digitized voter identification system.
After being held in line for hours, a procession of voters is freed to run upstairs at a polling station in Dhaka to cast ballots.
The quest, for some here, ends in disappointment as their identification numbers and names do not match.
Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan says he returned home from New Zealand just to vote.
"I looked for my number but the presiding officer he initially didn't cooperate with me," said Bhuiyan. "Then I pressed him, then I tried to convince him that, at least, I want to cast my vote. But, unfortunately, still I could not."
At another Dhaka polling station in the upscale neighborhood of Gulshan, the scene was more serene. Lines were short and moved along quickly.
Unlike past elections, businessman A.T.M. Shamsuzzoha, was relieved to find an absence of party officials attempting to intimidate voters.
"There is no influence from either side," he said. "You can easily vote. You can choose your own candidate."
One fourth of the 81 million eligible voters are on the rolls for the first time. Some analysts believe these younger and previously disenfranchised minority voters will be the ones who influence the outcome.
"I'm a voter for the first time, so I'm pretty excited because it's the first time I can exercise my civil rights," said Saria Hossain, who works at a bank in the capital.
While there are more than 1,500 candidates from 38 parties, as well as independents, the attention is on two former prime ministers - Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The bitter rivals traded power over a 15-year period. The last attempt to hold a national election in late 2006 ended in chaos, prompting the military to step in and appoint a caretaker government with emergency powers.
The interim leaders jailed both Hasina and Zia as part of a widespread anti-corruption campaign. But under pressure from both of the major parties, the two women were freed to run for office.
The caretakers hope they can hand over power to a new government expected to be formed when the reconstituted parliament meets in mid-January.
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