Rafiqul Islam Biplob, Gazipur

Voting was held amid festive mood at South Bartopa Government Primary School Polling Station of Mauna Union of Sreepur Upazila of Gazipur. Most voters spontaneously go to the center to cast their votes, whether there is a strong contender in the election or not.

After the independence of the country through the Great War of Liberation, voting has been held in such an environment in all the elections. Shops, Jilapi, Murali, Nimki, Vajapura food stalls are arranged around the polling station with toys for children. On May 21, the voters cast their votes in the second phase of the Upazila Parishad elections in that polling station in a hostile environment. There are about 6,000 male and female voters in that center.

Kajal Sarkar (54), son of Naimuddin of Bartopa village, said that he has been voting as a voter of that center for the last 35 years. At various times and for various reasons, there is news of low voter turnout in various polling stations of the country. But this center has the highest voter attendance rate. In any election, the voters of the area treat the election as a festival.

Voter Mojiran (60), wife of local Hatim Ali, voter of the same polling station, said that she has been voting in various elections at this polling station for 42 years. This center has the highest voter turnout compared to the surrounding polling stations. Around the polling station, children's toy shops, nimki, jilapi, bhajapura and various food stalls are arranged by the vendors for day-long shopping.

Khandkar Mojibur Rahman, the retired headmaster of Bartopa Government Primary School said, sometimes a political party boycotts elections. It affects all polling stations. But this center is different. Everyone in the area came here to vote. Voting is celebrated as a festival by the people of South Bartopa area. Around the polling station, bahari products are arranged in various shops and shopping is going on throughout the day.

Mojibur Rahman, a former member of Mauna Union Parishad, said that it is the characteristic of the voters of this center that most of the total voters vote by organizing the festival. Shamsul Haque, Mauna Union Parishad member of Ward No. 4 said that the presence of voters in South Bartopa center increases whenever there is an election announced by the government. There is no incident of any kind of violence in this center in the past.

Analyzing the results of the 11th and 12th national parliament elections, it has been found that on average 51 percent of votes were cast in other polling stations of the upazila, but about 60 percent of votes were cast in that center.