Dhaka: After 17 years of anticipation, the citizens of Bangladesh took to the polls on Thursday morning for a significant national election aimed at re-establishing democratic values and securing a strong mandate for national reforms. The election, which commenced at 7:30am, will continue without interruption until 4:30pm across 42,659 polling stations in 299 out of 300 constituencies, with nearly one million security personnel and an equal number of polling staff ensuring a smooth process.
According to United News of Bangladesh, high-profile figures, including Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, are expected to exercise their voting rights at designated centers in the capital, with the Chief Adviser scheduled to vote at 10am and Tarique Rahman between 9:30am and 10am. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman is set to cast his vote at 8am at the Monipur center. However, the election in the Sherpur-3 constituency has been postponed due to the death of a candidate.
On this election day, 2,028 candidates are vying for 299 parliamentary seats, representing 50 political parties and independent candidates. The eligible voter count stands at 127,298,522, including 64,620,077 male, 62,677,232 female, and 1,213 third-gender voters. While BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami are actively contesting, the Awami League has chosen to boycott this election, marking the first time in 30 years they are not competing.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin emphasized their commitment to a transparent, peaceful, and credible election process during a briefing to international observers and journalists. The election is being monitored by approximately 330 international observers and over 160 international journalists, with transparency and proper voting protocols being key priorities. Additionally, a new feature in this election is the introduction of a hybrid postal balloting system for expatriate voters, alongside traditional methods, marking a first in Bangladesh’s electoral history.
Security has been a major focus, with nearly 958,000 law enforcement members deployed, including army, navy, air force, police, and other security units. The Election Commission has expressed satisfaction with the overall security situation despite isolated incidents, crediting law enforcement for maintaining order.
Finally, movement restrictions have been imposed on several vehicle types to ensure a smooth election process, and postal voting has seen substantial participation with over one million votes already cast. The results are expected to be announced in phases, with most expected by midnight, pending the completion of counting both in-person and postal votes.