Dhaka: The voting in the country’s 13th parliamentary elections, held concurrently with a referendum on the interim government’s reform package, began nationwide at 7:30 am today. Citizens formed queues early in the morning, eager to cast their ballots in this crucial electoral event.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, witnesses reported stringent security measures in place at polling centers across 299 of the 300 constituencies, after the Election Commission (EC) canceled voting in Sherpur-3 due to a candidate’s death. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud confirmed that nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel were deployed to ensure a peaceful voting process. Additionally, 2,098 executive and 657 judicial magistrates were appointed for election duties, which started on Tuesday and will continue for five days.
The election is primarily contested between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, with expectations high for the event to conclude the 18-month rule of the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus. Commissioner Masud encouraged voters to engage in the electoral process, emphasizing the festive atmosphere and anticipating a significant voter turnout, especially from young and first-time voters.
Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar noted that the EC had completed preparations, including administrative, technical, and security measures, to facilitate the voting process. He highlighted the unprecedented deployment of security personnel, predicting a voter turnout of around 55 percent.
The EC’s statistics indicate that voting is taking place in 42,779 polling centers with 247,482 polling rooms. The total number of registered voters is 12,77,11,893, comprising 6,48,25,36 males, 6,28,85,200 females, and 1,232 third-gender individuals. EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed revealed that 50 political parties are participating in the elections, with 2,028 candidates, including 273 independents. The BNP has fielded the most candidates, totaling 291, and 83 female candidates are contesting.
According to the EC, approximately 800,000 officials are involved in election duties apart from security personnel. This includes returning officers, assistant returning officers, presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and polling officers. Additionally, around 15,000 officials are managing postal voting.
EC Commissioner retired Brigadier General Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah mentioned the use of advanced surveillance technologies, including UAVs, drones, and body-worn cameras, for the first time. The security personnel include 103,000 army troops, 187,603 policemen, and 9,349 RAB personnel, among others.
The elections are being monitored by 55,454 observers from 81 local organizations and 394 foreign poll monitors. Nearly 200 foreign journalists are present to cover the elections and the referendum. International observers include representatives from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), the Commonwealth Secretariat, and other major organizations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Election Commission reported that observers from 21 countries are present, including representatives from Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, and others. Fifty-one observers from various international organizations are monitoring the elections in their individual capacities.