Steve Herman , the Chief of Delhi Bureau of VOA says polling in Bangladesh, on the whole, was peaceful and people lined up to cast their votes. In an exclusive interview with VOA Bangla Service Steve says sunny weather, combined with voter optimism and a huge security presence throughout the country has resulted in a high turnout for national elections in Bangladesh.
People are voting at some 35-thousand polling stations nation wide. Eighty-one million eligible voters, 21 million of them voting for the first time. They all have digital identification cards and voter rolls. Twelve million names of suspected ghost voters have been eliminated from the rolls.
There are some preliminary reports of intimidation against Hindus and other minorities, some cases of vote buying.
They say voters are hoping that there will be a change from the past, and whoever is in power that it will put on Bangladesh on the road to prosperity.
They say voters are hoping that there will be a change from the past, and whoever is in power that it will put on Bangladesh on the road to prosperity.
