Dhaka – Bangladesh is set to hold its first general election since the 2024 uprising that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. Election authorities have urged voters to exercise their franchise responsibly.
The general election will be held concurrently with a referendum on a package of key constitutional reforms arising from the recent political transition. Both votes are scheduled for Thursday.
Polling stations will open at 7:30 am. and close at 4:30 pm. More than 127 million eligible voters are expected to choose 300 members of parliament from among 2034 contenders nationwide.
The voting stage is set following a three-week campaign period that ended generally peaceful on Tuesday.
In a televised address to the nation ahead of polling day, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin called on political parties, candidates, and voters to act responsibly and help maintain a peaceful election atmosphere.
Highlighting the Election Commission’s extensive preparations, the CEC described voting as both a civic right and a fundamental responsibility.
“Differences of opinion are a natural part of democracy,” he said, urging voters to visit polling centers in a festive spirit and cast their ballots for the candidate of their choice.
He added: “As a natural outcome of the democratic process, victory and defeat must be accepted gracefully and in a normal manner by all.”
The CEC also called on election officials to ensure the success of the polls, regardless of personal difficulties or limitations.
He reaffirmed the Election Commission’s commitment to peaceful voting and noted that election officials, judicial magistrates, and law enforcement agencies are actively deployed to prevent any untoward incidents.
Security forces have been deployed extensively across Bangladesh to ensure peaceful elections. The interim administration, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus installed shortly after the uprising, is overseeing the electoral process.
On Wednesday, army troops conducted visible patrols in Dhaka and other districts alongside regular police forces.
Adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs Jahangir Alam Chowdhury warned that any attempt to disrupt the electoral environment would face strict action.
The government has mobilized approximately 900,000 security personnel, including more than 100,000 troops from the armed forces, to maintain order at over 43,000 polling stations nationwide.
This year’s main contest is primarily between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, and its allies, and a coalition of right-wing parties led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
The Awami League, the party of former prime minister Hasina, has been excluded from the election. In May last year, the interim administration banned its activities, and the Election Commission subsequently cancelled its registration as a political party.
Hasina was disqualified from contesting after a special court in Dhaka sentenced her to death in November for her alleged role in suppressing the 2024 uprising. According to a UN estimate, nearly 1,400 people were killed during the month-long unrest.
A total of 2,034 candidates, nominated by political parties and running as independents, are contesting for 300 parliamentary seats. However, voting will take place in only 299 constituencies after the Election Commission suspended polling in one constituency in northern Sherpur district due to the death of a candidate.
