A visit to several polling centres in Gopalganj on Thursday (February 12) revealed an almost negligible voter turnout. In many centres, agents other than those representing the “Sheaf of Paddy” symbol were not present.
Although presiding officers arrived at the centres before 7:00 a.m., voter attendance remained close to zero during the early hours. One centre, which has a total of 2,540 registered voters—including 1,240 women—saw very few voters casting their ballots.
Earlier concerns had suggested that while the overall voting scenario across the country might remain similar, Gopalganj could experience a different situation.
The Gopalganj-3 constituency alone has nearly 300,000 voters, while the three constituencies—Gopalganj-1, 2, and 3—together have around one million voters. The district is traditionally considered a stronghold of the Awami League. Sheikh Hasina previously contested from Gopalganj-3, and the party secured overwhelming victories there whenever it participated in elections.
However, with the Awami League banned from political activities this time, it could not take part in the election. Observers believe this has contributed to voter apathy in the area. The party has also called for a boycott of the polls, and many assume the call may have the strongest impact in Gopalganj. However, senior leaders of the party have not publicly announced boycott programs, as many face legal cases and some are currently in jail.
Despite the low turnout, polling agents expressed hope that voter participation might increase as the day progresses. They estimate that turnout could reach up to 50 percent by the end of voting.
