Replete with violence but still appealing to elderly

Despite the media being swamped by reports on poll-related violence across the country, it looks like the elections still have a wide appeal to the people, especially the elderly, albeit their old age complexities.

Eighty-two-year old Anwara Khatun was observing the voting standing on the Pomra Bangabandhu High School premises in Rangunia upazila of Chittagong yesterday morning after casting her ballot in the fifth phase of the Union Parishad elections.

Anwara had to take help of wooden crutches to go the centre on her own, as an accident rendered her one leg useless some eight years back.

"It is a government election. People should participate in it and cast their votes…" she said.

Not only Anwara, but also many other elderly voters facing physical problems, were seen moving towards different polling centres in the upazila.

Another elderly man, Sudhir Ranjan Chakraborty, aged 85, was seen going to a polling centre around 9:30am to cast his vote by putting his hand on the shoulder of a youth as he could not walk independently.

Sudhir was hardly able to talk due to the old- age complexities while this correspondent got close to him to know about his feeling.

Parvin Akter of the upazila's Sarafbhata took her elderly mother, Shamsunnahar, to the Rangunia Sarafbhata Muabinul Islamia Madrasa centre on a wheelchair as the latter could not walk on her own due to various old-age difficulties.

"As my mother insisted on casting her vote, I could not but bring her to the centre," said Parvin.

However, a few incidents of violence took place at some polling centres in the upazila's 12 unions. A clash ensued among supporters of two member candidates at the Abu Hanifa Registered Primary School centre in Parua Union, leaving two of them injured.

The other centres where incidents of violence and ballot stuffing were recorded, include Pomra SRS Government Primary School centre and Islampur High School centre in the upazila. Meanwhile, Manjurul Alam, 55, presiding officer of the Kazipara Govt Primary School centre in the district's Patiya upazila died of a cardiac arrest around 3:30pm while discharging duties.