Bangladesh embarked on a significant democratic exercise as polling stations nationwide opened Thursday morning for the country’s parliamentary elections. The electoral process commenced precisely at 7:30 AM local time across more than 42,000 designated voting centers, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s political landscape.
An impressive electorate of over 127 million registered voters is anticipated to participate in determining the composition of the next parliament. The voting period will conclude at 4:30 PM local time, after which immediate vote counting procedures will commence at respective polling locations.
Pre-election enthusiasm was evident throughout the capital city of Dhaka, where substantial queues formed outside polling stations as early as Wednesday evening. First-time voter Miraz Ahmed expressed his anticipation, stating: ‘This represents my inaugural voting experience, and I’m genuinely excited. I’m obtaining my voter identification from this assistance desk to ensure direct access to the polling station tomorrow morning without delays.’
The electoral competition features 2,028 candidates vying for representation across 299 of the 300 directly-elected parliamentary constituencies. The remaining constituency’s election has been postponed due to the unfortunate demise of a candidate, with rescheduled voting to occur at a later date.
This electoral event marks Bangladesh’s first general election since the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, which occurred during widespread political turbulence. According to constitutional provisions, any political party must secure at least 151 parliamentary seats to establish a governing majority.