Voting Under Way in 13th National Polls

Voting in the country’s 13th parliamentary elections began at 7:30am today, alongside a nationwide referendum on the interim government’s reform package. Long queues were seen at polling centres across the country as voters turned out to cast their ballots.

Polling is being held in 299 of the 300 constituencies after the Election Commission (EC) cancelled voting in the Sherpur-3 seat following the death of a candidate. Security has been tightened in the capital and other parts of the country.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said extensive preparations and strict security arrangements were taken to ensure a free, fair and peaceful vote. Nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed nationwide to prevent violence and maintain order during and after polling.

A total of 2,098 executive magistrates and 657 judicial magistrates have been assigned to election duties for five days starting Tuesday.

The main contest is between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami. The polls are expected to mark the end of the 18-month tenure of the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Masud urged voters to exercise their democratic right in a festive atmosphere, expressing hope for a strong turnout, especially among young and first-time voters.

Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar said all administrative, technical and security preparations had been completed. He noted that the highest level of security deployment in the country’s electoral history had been ensured and projected voter turnout could reach around 55 percent.

According to EC data, voting is taking place at 42,779 polling centres with 247,482 polling booths. A total of 127,711,893 voters are registered in 299 constituencies, including 64,825,363 men, 62,885,200 women and 1,232 third-gender voters.

Fifty political parties are contesting the elections with 2,028 candidates, including 273 independents. BNP has fielded 291 candidates, the highest among parties. There are 83 female candidates in the race.

Around 800,000 officials are performing election duties, including returning officers, assistant returning officers, presiding officers and polling officers. An additional 15,000 officials are managing postal voting.

For the first time, the EC is using unmanned aerial vehicles, drones and body-worn cameras for surveillance. More than 958,000 members of the army, navy, air force, police, RAB, BGB, Coast Guard and Ansar have been deployed.

A total of 1,922 members of the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps are assisting in maintaining order.

Some 55,454 local observers from 81 organisations are monitoring the polls, along with 394 foreign observers and nearly 200 foreign journalists.

International observer teams represent major organisations and 21 countries, reflecting broad global interest in the elections and the accompanying referendum.