Bangladesh Voting: General elections begin in Bangladesh, voting in 299 out of 300 parliamentary seats across the country, one candidate dies.

Dhaka. Voting for the important general elections of Bangladesh started on Thursday morning. This election is being held in August 2024 after Sheikh Hasina stepped down from the post of Prime Minister following protests across the country. Voting for 299 out of 300 parliamentary seats across the country began at 7:30 am (local time) and will continue till 4:30 pm. Counting of votes is likely to begin immediately after polling ends. Voting in one constituency has been canceled due to the death of a candidate.

Bangladesh is holding general elections along with a referendum on a complex 84-point reform package. The main contest is between Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami. The interim government led by chief adviser Mohammad Yunus had dissolved Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League last year and banned the party from contesting elections.

The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements and has deployed around 10 lakh security personnel, the largest ever deployment in the electoral history of the country. A total of 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties and 273 independent candidates are in the fray. BNP has fielded maximum 291 candidates. There are 83 women candidates in the election. Yunus has said that he will soon hand over power to the elected government.

He has appealed to political parties, candidates and concerned parties to maintain restraint, tolerance and democratic behavior on the day of voting. In his address to the nation on the eve of voting, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasiruddin appealed to the voters to vote fearlessly. He urged political parties, candidates and voters to maintain a peaceful and cordial atmosphere. He said representatives from 45 countries and organizations are monitoring the elections, including election management bodies and international organizations.

Government news agency BSS quoted Election Commissioner Abdur R Machood as saying that around nine lakh security personnel have been deployed to ensure security during the elections. The administration has deployed armored vehicles (APCs) and rapid response forces (RATs) in key areas of the capital. According to police, out of 2,131 polling stations in Dhaka, 1,614 have been declared sensitive.

However, the army has described two polling stations in Dhaka city as ‘risky’. For the first time, drones and ‘body-worn cameras’ (cameras that can be worn on clothes) are being used for election security. According to Election Commission data, out of about 12.7 crore voters, 3.58 percent are first-time voters. For the first time, around eight lakh registered expatriate Bangladeshis will be able to vote through the IT-based postal ballot system.