Chattogram Falls Silent as Thousands Head Home for Polls

The 13th National Parliament election is going to be held tomorrow. The port city of Chattogram has taken on a different look since Wednesday, focusing on this festival. The familiar traffic jams, the sound of horns and the busyness of crowded sidewalks seem to have disappeared in an instant. Since the election general holiday began, the city's residents have been running with the pulse, as a result of which the city is now largely deserted and quiet.

People have basically started leaving Chattogram since last Monday. However, yesterday and today, Wednesday, the crowd reached its peak. There was an overflowing crowd of people heading home at the city's Alankar More, AK Khan, Cinema Palace and Kadamtali bus terminals. Many people with their families were waiting for the bus with bags and packages.

The picture at the railway station was also similar. There was no place for passengers to sit at the Chittagong Railway Station since this morning. Although the long-distance trains were running according to the scheduled schedule, every compartment was crowded with passengers. This urge to go to their village homes and exercise their right to vote has brought the city to a standstill.

​On the ground, it has been seen that the busiest areas of the city like GEC intersection, Gate No. 2, Bahaddarhat and Agrabad are now largely empty. Although some rickshaws or CNG auto-rickshaws ply occasionally, the number of private cars and public transport is very low.

​Transportation related people said that a large number of buses and microbuses have been requisitioned by the law enforcement agencies and the administration to carry out election duties. As a result, the number of buses for the general public to travel on the roads has decreased considerably. Those who have stayed in the city are facing some difficulties in their travel.

A tight security cordon has been set up in the entire city of Chattogram to avoid any untoward incident surrounding the elections. Along with the police, RAB and BGB, the army is patrolling at various intersections. Temporary check posts are being set up at important intersections and suspicious persons are being searched. Strict measures have been imposed at the city's entrances so that no outsider can create chaos.

​Overall, Chattogram is shrouded in silence. This silence seems to be a sign of a big change or stability. Tomorrow morning, the battle for ballots will begin at the polling stations. Who will take charge of the new Bangladesh, and what kind of leadership will the people of Chattogram choose—the answer to that question will be found in tomorrow's referendum. For now, the commotion has stopped, now it's just a matter of waiting.