Thousands of citizens streamed into Dhaka’s Kamalapur railway station on Wednesday, heading back to their villages ahead of Thursday’s 13th National Parliament Election and Referendum. It will be the first national poll since the ousting of Sheikh Hasina, ending a 15-year era and opening the door to what many hope will be a return to true democracy.
Footage shows passengers crowding the station before boarding packed trains, with some sitting on the roof or clinging to the sides for the long journeys into the countryside.
“This time, there is joy like Eid in the elections; we are all going home together. Almost everyone is going to the village to cast their votes. I am going to vote for the first time in my life. I have a different feeling inside me, which is a feeling that cannot be expressed in words,” said one voter, Ismail Hossain.
Over the past week, people have been leaving Dhaka for their villages to vote, but the rush intensified as trains pulled into the platforms. Thousands surged forward to board, while others risked their lives by climbing onto the roof after failing to secure seats inside.
“For the past few days, people have been celebrating and celebrating, everyone is ready to vote. There are no tickets anywhere in the train, bus, I am going to the village to vote after managing the tickets with great difficulty,” said Firoz Kabir.
After years of political stagnation and allegations of voter suppression, many see the vote as a rare opportunity to finally exercise their democratic rights under the supervision of a neutral interim administration. However, isolated violence has been reported since Tuesday night, raising concerns about whether people will be able to vote without fear.
Humayun Kabir shared his long struggle to reach the ballot box: “I am going to my village mainly to vote. I am going home, hoping to vote in the upcoming elections on the 12th. We have not had the opportunity to vote in the past. I tried to vote in the previous elections but found that my vote had already been cast… I did not even try to vote in the next two elections. This is the first time I am going to vote after 2008.”
Voting for the 13th National Parliament and a constitutional referendum will occur across 299 constituencies on Thursday, with full results expected by Friday afternoon.
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