Voting in Khulna Division’s 36 parliamentary constituencies across 10 districts was largely peaceful and festive on Thursday, with turnout averaging around 70 per cent. Over 25,000 law enforcement personnel, including 7,000 army members, were deployed to ensure orderly polling.
Despite social media speculation that some Awami League supporters might abstain or that minority Hindu voters could face intimidation, both groups were seen exercising their right to vote without incident. In many constituencies, the contests between the “Sheaf of Paddy” and “Scale” candidates were closely watched, with margins of victory becoming decisive in the race.
Official figures from the division’s monitoring cell show robust participation: Khulna 65 per cent, Bagerhat 82 per cent, Satkhira 72 per cent, Kushtia 77 per cent, Narail 72 per cent, and Chuadanga 74 per cent. Early morning turnout included BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters, many arriving immediately after Fajr prayers.
Among them was university student Tuhin Sheikh, who travelled from Dhaka to vote in Khulna-5, casting his ballot for the first time. “After the long journey and all the effort, voting here has made every bit of struggle worthwhile,” he said.
At the same centre, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar noted, “There was no cause for concern over the voting process. Victory and defeat are ultimately in Allah’s hands.”
Some isolated incidents were reported. Khulna-2 candidate Nazrul Islam Manju alleged that a BNP supporter died following an altercation with the principal of an Alia Madrasa at the polling centre. Candidate Sheikh Jahangir Hossain Helal called for a formal investigation into the claim.
To oversee vote counting and coordinate results across all 36 constituencies, 71 control rooms were activated, supported by a monitoring cell at the divisional commissioner’s office. Security forces remained on high alert to prevent any untoward incidents during the counting process.
So far, neither BNP nor Jamaat-e-Islami representatives have raised complaints about the voting or counting process. Party leaders at the divisional level praised the smooth conduct of the polls. Concerns about minority voters were unfounded, with strong turnout observed among Hindu communities.
Awami League supporters were also seen casting their votes, with their ballots set to influence the outcome of “Sheaf of Paddy” and “Scale” symbols.
Divisional Commissioner Mokhtar Ahmed said that the combined security and administrative measures had been fully successful and assured that vote counting and result announcements would also be conducted transparently and efficiently.
