Bangladesh Votes in Crucial General Election Under Tight Security

Voting for Bangladesh general elections started on Thursday morning amid tight security arrangements. The Election Commission has deployed nearly one million security personnel, the largest ever deployment in the country’s electoral history, to ensure peaceful polling.

 

 

This is the first general election since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following massive nationwide protests in August 2024. Her party, the Awami League, has been disbanded and barred from contesting the polls by the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

 

 

The main contest is between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of the Awami League.

 

 

The parliamentary elections are being held at a time of major political change, following the death of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and the continued ban on her longtime rival Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party.

 

 

Bangladesh, the eighth most populous country in the world, has around 127 million eligible voters. Nearly half of them are in the 18–37 age group, including 4.57 million first-time voters, making youth participation a key factor in the election.

 

 

Voting is being held in 299 out of 300 parliamentary constituencies across the country. Polling started at 7:30 am (local time) and will continue until 4:30 pm.

 

 

The counting of votes is expected to begin soon after polling ends. The Election Commission will officially announce the results on the morning of February 13, once the counting process is completed.

 

 

The 13th parliamentary election marks a turning point in Bangladesh’s political history, as the country enters a new and uncertain political phase.

(With agency inputs)