Following the mass uprising that ousted the Awami League government on 5 August 2024 and the subsequent period of political instability, the country is ready to hold its highly anticipated 13th parliamentary election and referendum on Thursday.
Voting will take place from 7:30am to 4:30pm. Of the 300 parliamentary seats, voting will be held in 299 constituencies, as the election in Sherpur-3 has been postponed due to the death of a candidate. The Election Commission has confirmed that all preparations for the election are complete.
During a briefing at the Election Commission headquarters on Tuesday, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah expressed satisfaction with the current law and order situation.
While some isolated incidents have occurred since the announcement of the election schedule, he noted that the overall environment is better than at any time in the past.
According to the Election Commission, voting will take place at 42,779 polling stations across the country. Of these, 21,506 stations have been marked as “high-risk”, while 21,273 have been classified as “general”.
Nearly 958,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed across the country to maintain order during the election.
“While the current law and order situation is satisfactory, the overall environment would have been more stable if the isolated incidents following the announcement had not occurred,” Sanaullah said.
He further noted that in recent weeks, over 850 illegal weapons have been seized nationwide, demonstrating the law enforcement agencies’ efforts to prevent potential violence. Sanaullah called on political parties, candidates, and voters to conduct the election in a peaceful and festive atmosphere.
According to the Election Commission, nearly 2,100 executive magistrates and 657 judicial magistrates will oversee the election process.
In addition, a significant security presence will be deployed, with 103,000 army personnel, 5,000 navy members, 3,730 air force officers, 37,453 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members, 3,585 Coast Guard members, 187,603 police officers, 9,349 Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel, 576,483 Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) members, 45,820 village guards.
To guarantee a fair election, the Election Commission is using modern technology, including drones, body cameras, and widespread CCTV surveillance.
Over 90% of polling stations will be monitored by CCTV cameras. Regarding vote counting, the EC confirmed that both the parliamentary election and referendum ballots will be counted simultaneously. Preliminary results will be announced at polling stations and then sent to the Election Commission through returning officers. The commission expects most results to be available by midnight.
A total of 2,028 candidates from 50 political parties and independents are competing in the election, including 1,755 party candidates, 273 independents, and 83 female candidates. The total voter count stands at 127,711,793, with 64,825,361 male voters, 62,885,200 female voters, and 1,232 hijra voters.
EC Sanaullah urged political parties, candidates, voters, and supporters to maintain a peaceful and festive atmosphere throughout the election process. He stressed that while some areas remain tense, it is crucial that this does not continue and that the election is completed in an atmosphere of harmony and goodwill.
Election Commission data shows that a total of 785,225 officials will be responsible for conducting the election, including 42,779 presiding officers, 247,482 assistant presiding officers, and 494,964 polling officers. There will also be 69 returning officers and 598 assistant returning officers.
The election will be monitored by observers from 40 countries and eight international organisations, with 57 invited by the Election Commission and 335 coming independently.
In addition, 45,995 local observers from 80 organisations will be deployed, and nearly 9,700 journalists, including 156 foreign reporters, have registered to cover the event.
When asked about voter turnout, Sanaullah said, “We are not speculating, but we expect a good turnout. The enthusiasm of voters is evident. Just look at the crowds heading home to vote in Dhaka’s train stations. The entire country is turning into a festive atmosphere.”
He added, “The involvement of political parties and the awareness of voters, alongside the largest security deployment ever seen in Bangladesh, indicate that the environment is positive. We hope the process will be carried out smoothly.”
