Long queues due to two ballots, ID checks of veiled women voters said DC Zahidul Islam mian

Long queues were seen at polling centres as voters had to cast ballots on two papers and exta time was required to verify the identities of veiled women voters, Chattogram Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mian said Sunday.

Despite the delays, voters remained positive and cast their ballots with enthusiasm, he claimed.
“Voters had to cast ballots on two ballot papers, so naturally it took more time. Particularly in the case of women wearing burqas, extra time was needed to verify their identities. For these reasons, waiting time in queues was longer,” he told journalists at his office on Sunday (February 15), sharing his experience of overseeing the polls.
When asked about voters’ reactions, Zahid said, “When I spoke to voters, they said they were not facing any hardship. Rather, they were happy to be able to cast their votes. At that moment, we felt our arrangements were worthwhile.”

The DC deputy commissioner said the polls in Chattogram were conducted with the goal of delivering what the government had described as the “best election in history”.
“There was a declaration by the government that we would deliver the best election in history. With that goal in mind, various measures were undertaken that had never been implemented in Bangladesh before,” he said.
Referring to the challenges of managing the election, Zahid said many election officials deployed in Chattogram were new and unfamiliar with the area.
“Those who came here to work as election officials were entirely new. They had no prior familiarity with the local environment, people, or surroundings. Conducting the election in such a completely new setup was a major challenge for us,” he said.
However, he added that the administration viewed the polls as a matter of the state’s image. “We did not see it merely as a challenge. We saw this election as a question of the state’s image. A free and fair election is essential to build a new Bangladesh and ensure a safe environment for future generations,” he said.

Acknowledging criticisms over the role of government officials in past elections, Zahid said, “We have seen that government officials were repeatedly accused of failing to protect people’s voting rights. But this time the environment was different. The government and all relevant forces were sincere in arranging a neutral and acceptable election.”
He said he had clearly instructed all those involved in the electoral process to maintain neutrality. “I made it clear that the main standard of this election would be neutrality. Everyone involved in the electoral process had to meet that standard. No negligence or laxity would be tolerated,” he added.
According to him, the message was understood by all concerned, which helped make the election acceptable.

On preparations, DC Zahid said new and capable officials were prepared through training and necessary guidance.
However, he admitted that not all presiding and polling officers were highly experienced. “Due to practical realities, changes had to be made in many cases. With more training, the voting process could have been conducted more quickly,” he said.
He added that new presiding officers were appointed after scrutiny of their identities and past records due to certain limitations.
Overall, the deputy commissioner described the election arrangements as “successful”.