VIPs exercise franchise
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
FE Report
The President, the Chief Adviser, two contending ex-prime ministers, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Army Chief joined the jubilant nation by casting their votes at their respective polling stations in the capital in Monday's voting to elect the country's ninth parliament.
President Iajuddin Ahmed along with his wife Prof Anwara Begum cast their votes for the first time in seven years at the Bangabhaban Government Primary School polling centre at about 11:15 am.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, who heads the army-backed caretaker government, arrived at the Gulshan Model School and College at 10:10 am to exercise his franchise. Both he and his wife Neena Ahmed cast their votes at this centre.
Awami League chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote at the City College centre at 8:30 am. Her younger sister Sheikh Rehana also cast vote there.
Hasina's long-time political rival and another former prime minister Khaleda Zia, also the chief of Bangladesh Nationalist party, exercised her franchise at Adamjee Cantonment College centre just at 12:00 noon.
Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin along with his wife cast their votes at Viqarunnisa Noon School centre at 9:30 am.
CEC ATM Shamsul Huda arrived at the Gulshan Model High School centre at 10:05 am and cast his vote.
Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed also cast his vote at Adamjee Cantonment College centre in the morning.
Meanwhile, former BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who was expelled from the party, cast his vote at his Narsingdi-3 constituency where he was contesting as an independent candidate.
Mr. Bhuiyan is not the only big name who cast vote away from the capital.
Former president and Jatiya Party chief Hussein Muhammad Ershad, whose party had partnered with AL-led grand alliance, dropped his ballot at New Senpara Model High School at his hometown Rangpur.
Bangladesh last organised parliamentary elections in October 2001. Monday's election was earlier deferred twice- in January 2007 for political turmoil and in mid-December 2008 for paving the way for all-party participation in the much-awaited polls set to end the two years' rule of the current caretaker government.
The President, the Chief Adviser, two contending ex-prime ministers, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Army Chief joined the jubilant nation by casting their votes at their respective polling stations in the capital in Monday's voting to elect the country's ninth parliament.
President Iajuddin Ahmed along with his wife Prof Anwara Begum cast their votes for the first time in seven years at the Bangabhaban Government Primary School polling centre at about 11:15 am.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, who heads the army-backed caretaker government, arrived at the Gulshan Model School and College at 10:10 am to exercise his franchise. Both he and his wife Neena Ahmed cast their votes at this centre.
Awami League chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote at the City College centre at 8:30 am. Her younger sister Sheikh Rehana also cast vote there.
Hasina's long-time political rival and another former prime minister Khaleda Zia, also the chief of Bangladesh Nationalist party, exercised her franchise at Adamjee Cantonment College centre just at 12:00 noon.
Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin along with his wife cast their votes at Viqarunnisa Noon School centre at 9:30 am.
CEC ATM Shamsul Huda arrived at the Gulshan Model High School centre at 10:05 am and cast his vote.
Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed also cast his vote at Adamjee Cantonment College centre in the morning.
Meanwhile, former BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who was expelled from the party, cast his vote at his Narsingdi-3 constituency where he was contesting as an independent candidate.
Mr. Bhuiyan is not the only big name who cast vote away from the capital.
Former president and Jatiya Party chief Hussein Muhammad Ershad, whose party had partnered with AL-led grand alliance, dropped his ballot at New Senpara Model High School at his hometown Rangpur.
Bangladesh last organised parliamentary elections in October 2001. Monday's election was earlier deferred twice- in January 2007 for political turmoil and in mid-December 2008 for paving the way for all-party participation in the much-awaited polls set to end the two years' rule of the current caretaker government.