Dhaka, February 12 – Voting concluded on Thursday in Bangladesh's crucial general elections, with citizens casting their ballots to elect a new government. This election replaces the interim administration that took power after the Awami League's rule ended in August 2024.
The 13th parliamentary elections were held alongside a referendum on the implementation of the "July National Charter," a comprehensive 84-point reform package.
Counting of votes began after 4:30 pm (local time). However, voting will continue at polling stations where voters are in line.
"We expect to have significant results available overnight," said an election commission spokesperson.
The election is seen as a direct contest between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus' interim government disbanded the Awami League and prevented it from contesting the elections last year.
Nearly 127 million voters, including five million first-time voters, were registered to cast their ballots across 42,779 polling centers in 299 of the 300 constituencies nationwide. One constituency was cancelled due to the death of a candidate.
Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed reported that around 48 per cent voter turnout was recorded by 2 pm nationwide, according to state-run BSS news agency.
Chief Adviser Yunus thanked the public for their participation in the general elections and the referendum shortly after voting concluded.
"I urge political parties and candidates to uphold democratic values, tolerance, and mutual respect, even after the final results are announced. There will be differences of opinion, but for the national interest, we must remain united," he said.
"We will move forward collectively to build a state that is accountable, inclusive, and based on justice," he added. "Let's work together to strengthen democracy."
Yunus previously described the elections and the referendum as a historic opportunity to build a "new Bangladesh."
"We have been given the opportunity to build a new Bangladesh at every step. Let's celebrate the birthday of Bangladesh today. Let the entire nation celebrate this festival throughout the day," he said.
Earlier, top leaders of both BNP and Jamaat expressed concerns about manipulation and stated that they would accept the election results if they were conducted in a "free, fair, and impartial manner."
Tarique Rahman, who cast his vote at the Gulshan Model School and College center in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan area, said he was "confident" that his party would regain power after over 15 years, but demanded timely release of the results.
"If the election is held in a free, fair, and impartial manner and without controversy, then why shouldn't we accept it? We will accept it. However, of course, there is one condition that the election must be impartial and peaceful," the 60-year-old leader said.
Shafiqur Rahman, the chief of right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami, which leads an 11-party alliance, said his party would accept the election results if the polls were held in a "free and neutral manner."
"We want the results that come through a fair process. If the vote is free and impartial, we will accept the outcome. Others must also accept it. This is the beauty of democracy. This is what we want," he said.
He also alleged that attempts were made to cast fake votes in different parts of the country, adding that in several places, their polling agents were attacked and wounded.
Both BNP and Jamaat have asked their party workers to remain at polling stations until the results are announced.
The Election Commission made elaborate security arrangements for the elections, deploying nearly 1 million security personnel – the largest-ever in the country's electoral history.
Nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel were deployed to enforce security and prevent violence and maintain order during the voting. Authorities deployed Armored Personnel Carriers and Rapid Action Teams across key areas of the capital.
For the first time, drones and body-worn cameras were used for election security.
There were reports of electoral violence in some places.
In Gopalganj, three persons, including a 13-year-old girl, were injured in an alleged hand bomb attack at a polling station, according to BDnews24.
In a separate incident, a series of hand bomb explosions occurred outside a polling station in the Munshiganj-3 constituency, temporarily disrupting voting.
Also, a BNP leader died during an altercation with Jamaat-e-Islami activists outside a polling centre in Khulna.
A total of 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties and 273 independents are contesting the election. The BNP has fielded the highest number of 291 candidates. There are 83 female candidates.
Around 55,454 observers from 81 local organizations monitored the elections, while 394 foreign poll monitors were present.
Of the international observers, 80 represent various international organizations, while the rest come from different countries, including independent European observers.
Three persons were arrested on allegations of distributing ballot paper photocopies among activists of a party at Kalai area of northwestern Joypurhat, Ittefaq newspaper reported.
The Daily Star reported "ballot stuffing allegations spark clash between Jamaat and BNP activists" in northeastern Sylhet’s Balaganj subdistrict, where a local Jamaat leader and several others entered a polling centre at around midnight when BNP activists rushed in, resulting in scuffles requiring security interventions.
In Dhaka, police arrested a Jamaat leader for buying votes while crude bombs were exploded near seven polling centres in southwestern Gopalganj hours before voting.