General Election in Bangladesh: Voting Underway
As the sun rose over Dhaka on February 12, the people of Bangladesh headed to the polls for a crucial general election. This marks the first election since the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following massive protests in August 2024.
Voting commenced at 7:30 am local time in 299 out of 300 parliamentary constituencies across the country and is scheduled to continue until 4:30 pm. The counting of votes is set to begin shortly after the polls close.
Unfortunately, voting in one constituency had to be canceled due to the unfortunate death of a candidate.
Alongside the 13th parliamentary elections, a referendum on an extensive 84-point reform package is also taking place simultaneously. The Election Commission has taken extensive security measures by deploying nearly 1 million security personnel, marking the largest security deployment in the country’s electoral history.
The main contenders in this election are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, as Prime Minister Hasina’s Awami League has been disbanded by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ interim government. The Awami League has been barred from participating in the polls.
A total of 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties and 273 independents are vying for seats in this election. The BNP has the highest number of candidates at 291, including 83 female candidates.
Chief Adviser Yunus has pledged a swift transfer of power to the elected government and has called upon all political parties, candidates, and stakeholders to uphold restraint, tolerance, and democratic conduct on polling day.
Addressing the nation in a televised speech ahead of the election, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin urged voters to exercise their right to vote freely. He also called for a peaceful and harmonious environment from political parties, candidates, and voters.
Representatives from 45 countries and organizations, including election management bodies and international institutions, are observing the polls to ensure transparency and fairness.
Over 900,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed to maintain security during the election, with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Rapid Action Teams (RATs) strategically positioned across key areas of the capital.
Police have identified risk-prone polling centers and have shared this information with the Election Commission. The army has also flagged two centers in Dhaka city as “risky.” Drones and body-worn cameras are being utilized for election security for the first time.
First-time voters constitute around 3.58% of the nearly 127 million voters, according to EC data. Additionally, for the first time, approximately 800,000 expatriate Bangladeshis who have registered with the poll body will be able to vote through an IT-based postal ballot system.
