Chattogram: Young voters in Chattogram voiced excitement after casting their votes this year, many for the first time in over a decade, saying their participation marked a significant step in shaping the country’s future. Touhidul Islam, a 2nd-year student of the Sports Science Department at Chattogram University, who cast his vote at Kazem Ali High School in Chattogram-9 constituency today, expressed happiness after emerging from the polling booth.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Touhidul Islam shared, “This is a memorable moment, that’s why I took a selfie.in the past, we have seen that voting was a mockery.Today, I cast my vote peacefully for the first time. So, the feeling is awesome. It is a memorable day in my life.’ Echoing Touhidul’s sentiments, his friend Zulfikar Hossain, a law student at Chattogram Premier University, expressed hope that through this vote, a new dawn will break in Bangladesh and all oppression and tyranny will end.
At the Jamalkhan Dr. Khastgir High School Center, 22-year-old college student Tasfia Tarannum stated, “This is the first vote of my life. The moment when I took the ballot in my hand was very emotional. I felt that even one vote of mine can play a pivotal role in changing the future of the country.” Farhana Jhuma continued, “I was a little nervous before entering the polling station. But when I went inside, I saw that everything was very nicely arranged. It feels good to vote for the candidate of my choice.”
Rakibul Islam expressed satisfaction after casting his vote for the first time, hopeful that the opinions of his generation will be considered with due importance for shaping the country’s future. Kashim Uddin, a young voter at the Public Administration Training Center, emphasized the importance of voting for change rather than just complaining. Tanvir Kaushik noted the significant turnout of young voters, indicating a growing interest in voting among their generation.
KBM Mustafa Zaman, the presiding officer, mentioned that many first-time voters sought clarification on voting procedures but followed them patiently. Former bank officer Zahurul Islam Patwary expressed joy casting his vote after a 15-year hiatus, feeling relieved to have participated in the electoral process at his age.
Chandni Majumdar, a garment worker from the Shulakbahar area of Chattogram-10 constituency, said, “We seek protection as Hindus. We voted for a candidate who can ensure peace. We expect the elected representative to treat people of all religions, including Muslims and Hindus, equally.”
Meanwhile, experts opined that the young voters will play a significant role in the electoral dynamics of the 16 parliamentary constituencies of Chittagong and they are likely to be the determining factor in this election. Out of the 6,616,712 voters, 304,051 new voters have been added, most of whom are young. Of them, over 300,000 are young people, who enlisted as voters for the first time.