Incident Reports

Date & Time of Incident: 12/02/2026 (12:20 AM) Location: Budhal Union Type of Incident: A female voter went to the polling center to cast her vote but found that her vote had already been cast. As a result, she was unable to vote. Victim’s Gender and Approximate Age: Female (45+) Photo or Video: Not willing to provide.

While a festive mood has been created across the country around the elections, no reports of direct violence have been found in various areas of Talshahar Union so far. However, field visits reveal that due to past experiences, many voters still carry a sense of fear and uncertainty. At around 9:30 a.m. today, while at a shop in Mohonpur Bazar in Talshahar Union, I spoke with a man named Indra Roy. He stated that his family is not interested in voting in this election. When asked about the reason, he explained that in the previous election, a clash between two villages had resulted in his son, Bishal Roy, being seriously injured. The memory of that incident still haunts their family. Indra Roy further said, “Even if we want to vote, given the current situation in the country, we are worried. If another attack or trouble occurs, who will ensure our safety?” Because of this concern, they have decided not to go to the polling station this time. Such incidents clearly show that even in the absence of direct violence, fear and insecurity pose a significant barrier to participation for both male and female voters. In this situation, it is the responsibility of the relevant authorities to alleviate voters’ fears and ensure sufficient security at and around polling stations so that everyone can exercise their voting rights without hindrance.

Today at 4:25 PM, in Ward No. 3 of Mojlishpur Union, an elderly voter, Monowara Begum, aged 68, expressed reluctance to go to the polling station. According to her, she has heard that there will be a lot of violence at the polling centers this year, and therefore she will not go to cast her vote.

In a part of Bholachang village of Ramrail Union, campaigning has spread the idea that women going to polling stations is improper and inauspicious. Due to this social pressure, many women voters in the area have now lost the motivation to go to the polls and are publicly stating that they will not vote.

I am Yasmin Akter from Natai South Union. I conducted a few days of observation here to collect information about the upcoming election. During this time, I spoke with a woman and her family. The head of the household, Rikta Akter, shared that they are very enthusiastic and excited about the upcoming 13th National Election. She said that she herself would take the female members of her household to the polling station and expressed her hope that this time they would vote very spontaneously. When I asked one of the women whether anyone was forcing them to vote for a particular candidate, she replied, “I will cast my vote myself. No one here will stop me. I will vote for whoever I want.” Finally, every female voter in the household requested that the polling stations be made women-friendly and that no violence occurs during voting.