Dhaka: The voting in the country’s 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections, held concurrently with a referendum on the interim government’s reform package, is ongoing across Bangladesh today, with citizens forming lines to cast their ballots.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, voting commenced at 7:30 am at 42,779 polling centers in 299 constituencies nationwide. A total of 12,77,11,793 voters have registered to participate, comprising 6,48,25,361 males, 6,28,85,200 females, and 1,232 individuals from the third gender. The morning saw prominent political figures, including BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, casting their votes, with Rahman expressing optimism about a victorious outcome for his party.
Rahman, who is contesting the Dhaka-17 constituency as a Sheaf of Paddy candidate, cast his vote at Gulshan Model High School and College in the capital. After voting, he highlighted the significance of this election, emphasizing the public’s long-standing anticipation. He conveyed hope for a renewed democratic era in Bangladesh through active voter participation.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman also voted at Monipur High School and College in the capital. He expressed optimism for a peaceful and fair election, urging all parties to accept the results if conducted impartially, underscoring the essence of democracy.
Witnesses reported stringent security measures at polling centers in the capital and across the 299 constituencies, with the Election Commission (EC) canceling voting in Sherpur-3 due to a candidate’s death. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud assured the public of comprehensive preparations and robust security arrangements to ensure a peaceful voting process. Nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed, supported by 2,098 executive and 657 judicial magistrates on duty for five days.
The election marks a pivotal contest between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, potentially concluding the 18-month tenure of the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus. Masud urged voters to participate enthusiastically, predicting a significant turnout, especially among young and first-time voters.
Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar confirmed the EC’s readiness with extensive administrative, technical, and security measures. He highlighted the unprecedented deployment of security personnel and predicted a voter turnout of around 55 percent.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed noted that 50 political parties are participating, with 2,028 candidates, including 273 independents, and the BNP fielding the highest number of candidates. He mentioned that 83 female candidates are in the fray, while approximately 800,000 officials are on election duty, supplemented by about 15,000 overseeing postal voting.
Retired Brigadier General Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah of the EC noted the deployment of over 9,58,000 personnel, including army, navy, air force, and RAB members, with UAVs, drones, and body-worn cameras introduced for the first time for election surveillance. The security personnel include 103,000 army troops, 8,500 navy sailors and airmen, 37,453 paramilitary BGB soldiers, and 3,585 Coast Guard members, with the highest numbers from the Ansar force.
The elections are monitored by 55,454 observers from 81 local organizations and 394 foreign poll monitors. Nearly 200 foreign journalists are in Bangladesh to cover the elections and the referendum. International observers represent organizations such as ANFREL, the Commonwealth Secretariat, IRI, NDI, and others from countries including Pakistan, Turkey, China, and Japan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Election Commission have facilitated the presence of these observers.