Voicebox

“I gave 50 votes myself. We've passed. We have passed surely.”
FARUK
a butcher who boasted having stamped around 50 fake votes for the ruling alliance candidate Mosaddek Ali Falu at the Ispahani Girls High School and College polling centre. Falu was later declared elected with 78, 727 votes.

“Aysha is the name of my neighbour's maid. Give me another slip.”
FATEMA
a garment worker who was taken to Rajabajar Rotary Girls College voting centre by BNP workers to vote for its candidate. Later a different slip was given, and Fatema voted in the name of another voter named Maysha.

“These are very weighty words.”
SAIFUR RAHMAN
acting chief election commissioner
being asked whether the election was free, fair and impartial. Rahman later termed the election "not totally satisfactory."

“Early this morning a fellow rickshaw-puller woke me up and compelled me to board a bus to come to this centre. I had no idea about what my assignment was.”
KASHEM
A rickshaw-puller who impersonated a West Hajipara resident Kamal Hossain and cast his vote for the BNP candidate. Kashem stays in Gendaria, which is not in the Dhaka-10 constituency.

“I stand for 8-10 hours a day. Why is standing limited to 4 hours?”
DONALD RUMSFELD
US defence secretary
in a hand-written memo in which he approved interrogation techniques for detainees in Guantanamo bay which included standing for up to four hours. The US defence secretary works at a stand-up desk.

“Lucky you hit the bad one.”
DAVID BOWIE
British musician
when a lollypop thrown by an audience member hit his partially blind left eye during a concert in the Norwegian capital Oslo.

QUOTATIONS ARE TAKEN FROM DIFFERENT LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWSPAPERS.
Compiled by: AHMEDE HUSSAIN. Quotes can be sent to <[email protected]>