What you need to know now-
Results from 13 seats where the votes of more than 50 percent of the centres have been counted shows BNP is leading in 9 seats, Jamaat-e-Islami is leading in 3 seats, and an independent candidate is leading in 1.
BNP candidate and former attorney general Md Asaduzzaman has unofficially won from the Jhenaidah-1 (Shailkupa) constituency in the 13th National Parliamentary Election. Assistant Returning Officer Mahfuzur Rahman confirmed the win, stating that Asaduzzaman secured 173,381 votes, while his nearest rival, Jamaat candidate Matiur Rahman, obtained 57,055 votes.
Independent candidate Rumeen Farhana is leading in Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail, Ashuganj and parts of Bijoynagar). As of 10:00 pm, results from 45 out of 151 polling centres have been announced. Rumeen, contesting with the “duck” symbol, secured 34,460 votes. Her nearest rival, BNP alliance candidate Maulana Junayed Al Habib -- vice-president of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh’s central committee -- received 23,226 votes, Returning Officer Sharmin Akhtar Jahan announced. He is contesting with the “date palm tree” symbol.
In the Thakurgaon-1 constituency, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is leading, according to results from 138 centres out of a total of 185. The total number of voters in this seat is 504,838. As of the filing of this report, Mirza Fakhrul was leading with 172,984 votes cast in his favour, followed by 100,865 votes by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Md Delawar Hossain.
In the Netrokona-1 constituency, BNP Law Secretary and party nominee Barrister Kaiser Kamal is leading his opponent by nearly double the votes. According to results from 107 out of 124 centres, BNP candidate Kaiser Kamal has secured 137,647 votes. His rival, Golam Rabbani of Khelafat Majlish (nominated by the 11-party alliance), has polled 74,828 votes with the 'rickshaw' symbol.
Jamaat-e-Islami candidates are leading in three of the four parliamentary constituencies in Kushtia district, while a BNP-backed candidate is ahead in one, as of filing of this report.
In Kushtia-1 (Daulatpur), former MP Reza Ahmed Bachchu Mollah of BNP is leading with 122,605 votes from 91 of 135 polling centres. His nearest rival, Md Belal Uddin of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, received 61,288 votes.
In Kushtia-2 (Mirpur-Bheramara), Md Abdul Gafur of Jamaat-e-Islami secured 86,607 votes, ahead of BNP’s Barrister Ragib Rouf Chowdhury, who received 63,345 votes from 76 of 170 polling centres.
In Kushtia-3 (Sadar), Jamaat’s Mufti Amir Hamza leads with 79,440 votes, while BNP’s Engineer Md Zakir Hossain Sarkar got 53,871 votes from 61 of 142 polling centres.
In Kushtia-4 (Kumarkhali-Khoksa), Jamaat’s Md Afzal Hossain received 31,592 votes, ahead of BNP’s Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi, who secured 25,132 votes from 31 of 152 polling centres.
Our correspondent in Narail reported that BNP is leading in Narail-1, with results having been counted in 42 centres out of 112.
Prominent BNP leader Fazlur Rahman is leading in Kishoreganj-4 (Itna–Mithamain–Austagram), securing nearly 72,000 more votes than his rival, Jamaat-backed candidate Rokon Reza Sheikh. According to unofficial results from all 150 polling centres across the three upazilas of the constituency, Fazlur Rahman secured 129,954 votes, while his nearest rival Rokon Reza Sheikh, who contested with the “scales” symbol, received 57,326 votes. In Itna upazila, Fazlur Rahman obtained 54,289 votes, compared to Rokon Reza Sheikh’s 20,939 votes. In Mithamain, Fazlur Rahman received 26,756 votes, while Rokon Reza got 22,451 votes. In Austagram, Fazlur Rahman secured 48,909 votes, against 13,936 votes for Rokon Reza. Across the three upazilas, Fazlur Rahman is leading by a margin of 72,628 votes over his rival.
In Sunamganj-2, in 62 centres out of 112, BNP’s Nasir Chowdhury has been unofficially declared as the winner, as of the filing of this report, securing 55,814 votes. His closest rival Jamaat-e-Islami’s Shishir Manir secured 35,372 votes.
In Sunamganj-3, BNP’s Md Koysor Ahmed led the race, with results from 117 centres out of 148 showing him as having secured 76,713 votes. His closest rival is an independent candidate Anwar Hossain, who got 38,052 votes.
In Sunamganj-5 the results from 72 centres out of 171 showed that BNP’s Kolimuddin Ahmed led with 64,613 votes. His closest rival, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Abu Taher Md Abdus Salam secured 39,630 votes.
In Sunamganj-1, the results from 123 centres out of 188 show that BNP’s Kamruzzaman Kamrul was leading with 1,10,294 votes, while Jamaat-e-Islami’s Tofayel Ahmed was trailing with 61,605 votes.
Ganosamhati Andolon’s Zonayed Saki was leading in Brahmanbaria-6 by a massive margin, making him the unofficial winner, according to the count of 96 centres out of a total of 98. He secured 91,783 votes while Jamaat-e-Islami’s Md Mohsin secured 37,418 votes.
According to the count of 133 centres out of 187 in Bandarban, BNP candidate Saching Prue is leading by a massive margin. Prue secured 93,081 votes, while his closest rival is National Citizen Party’s Abu Sayeed Md Suja Uddin, who got 14,926 votes.
In a neck-to-neck battle in Panchagarh-1, results from 82 out of 156 centres show that BNP’s Nawshad Zamir was leading by a narrow margin, having received 91,799 votes, while NCP's Sarjis Alam trailed close behind with 89,878 votes.
In Panchagarh-2, the results from 79 out of 133 centres show that BNP’s Farhad Hossain Azad is leading with 1,01,808 votes, while Jamaat’s Shafiul Alam secured 75,247 votes in the seat.
In Rajbari-2, BNP is leading by a wide margin according to the results from 156 out of 199 centres. BNP candidate Md Harun-or-Rashid secured 1,77,737 votes. Meanwhile, NCP candidate Jamil Hijazi won 53,276 votes.
In Rajbari-1, results from 62 out of 157 centres show the BNP candidate Ali Newaz Mahmud Khayyam having secured 55,700 votes, leading the race. Meanwhile, Jamaat candidate Advocate Nurul Islam won 33,748 votes.
BNP-nominated candidates are leading in both Cumilla-1 and Cumilla-2 constituencies, according to results available at the returning officer’s office as of around 11:15pm.
In Cumilla-1, BNP candidate Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain secured 98,377 votes in 103 out of 146 centres counted so far.
His rival, Jamaat-nominated candidate Md Moniruzzaman, received 59,750 votes.
In Cumilla-2, BNP candidate Selim Bhuiyan is ahead with 76,268 votes in 110 out of 111 centres. His nearest rival, independent (rebel) candidate MA Matin, got 62,385 votes.
Unofficial results are coming in from polling centres under different constituencies. Stay tuned for the latest:
Cox’s Bazar-1 (Chakaria–Pekua)
Total centres: 177
Results announced: 107
Leading: Salauddin Ahmed (BNP) with 137,325 votes
Nearest rival: Abdullah Al Faruk (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 74,651 votes
Cox’s Bazar-2 (Kutubdia–Maheshkhali)
Total centres: 124
Results announced: 40
Leading: Alamgir Mohammad Mahfuz Ullah Farid (BNP) with 44,465 votes
Nearest rival: AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 24,454 votes
Cox’s Bazar-3 (Sadar–Eidgaon–Ramu)
Total centres: 182
Results announced: 36
Leading: Lutfur Rahman Kajol (BNP) with 31,352 votes
Nearest rival: Shahidul Alam Bahadur (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 28,815 votes
Cox’s Bazar-4 (Ukhia–Teknaf)
Total centres: 115
Results announced: Not specified
Leading: Shajahan Chowdhury (BNP) with 68,570 votes
Nearest rival: Nur Ahmed Anwary (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 71,532 votes
Pirojpur-1
Total centers: 168
Results announced: 62
Leading: Masud Sayedee (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 48,445 votes
Nearest rival: Alamgir Hossain (BNP) with 37,117 votes
Pirojpur-2
Total centers: 167
Results announced: 61
Leading: Shamim Sayedee (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 34,431 votes
Nearest rival: Ahmed Sohel Manjur (BNP) with 30,626 votes
Pirojpur-3
Total centers: 86
Results announced: 39
Leading: Ruhul Amin Dulal (BNP) with 27,846 votes
Nearest rival: Shamim Hamidi (NCP) with 16,019 votes
Sunamganj-5
Total centres: 171
Results announced: 25
Leading: Kalim Uddin Ahmed (BNP) with 20, 651 votes
Nearest rival: Abu Taher Md Abdus Salam (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 12,956 votes
Jamalpur-2
Total centers: 93
Results announced: 30
Leading: AE Sultan Mahmud Babu (BNP) with 28, 830 votes
Nearest rival: Md Samiul Haque (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 20,181 votes
Feni-2
Total centers: 147
Results announced: 25
Leading: Joynal Abedin (BNP) with 20,490 votes
Nearest rival: Md Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan (AB party) with 12, 217 votes
Sunamganj-1
Total centres: 178
Results announced: 11
Leading: Kamruzzaman Kamrul (BNP) with 8,848 votes
Nearest rival: Tofail Ahmed (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 5,898 votes
BNP's Fazlur Rahman wins Kishoreganj-4
BNP leader and freedom fighter Fazlur Rahman has been elected from Kishoreganj-4 (Itna–Mithamain–Austagram), securing a landslide victory over his nearest rival, Jamaat-backed candidate Rokon Reza Sheikh.
According to unofficial results from all 150 polling centres across the three upazilas, Fazlur Rahman secured 129,954 votes, while Rokon Reza Sheikh, who contested with the “scales” symbol, secured 57,326 votes.
Reacting to the victory, Fazlur Rahman thanked voters for their support.
“I am grateful to the people of my constituency. At this stage of my life, the honour the people of my area have shown me, I will try to uphold it,” he said.
Sunamganj-3
Total centers: 148
Results announced: 38
Leading: Mohammad Kaiser Ahmed (BNP) with 26,044 votes
Nearest rival: Md Anwar Hossain (Independent) with 12,169 votes
Moulvibazar-1
Total centers: 114
Results announced: 35
Leading: Nasir Uddin Ahmed (BNP) with 27,767 votes
Nearest rival: Mohammad Aminul Islam (Jamaat-e-Islami) with 25,232 votes
Brahmanbaria-2
Total centres: 151
Results announced: 45
Leading: Rumeen Farhana (Independent) with 34,460 votes
Nearest rival: Maulana Junayed Al Habib (Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh) with 23,226 votes
Chattogram-5
Total centres: 105
Results announced: 62
Leading: Mir Helal (BNP) with 67, 371 votes
Nearest rival: Rafiqul Islam (Islamic Front) with 7,116 votes
09:16pm
Jamaat will accept election results even if others don’t: Ameer Shafiqur
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman today said his party would accept the results of the 13th National Parliamentary Election, regardless of whether others choose to do so or not.
“If voting continues the way it has so far, and if there is no major interference, then whether others accept the results or not, we will accept it, In sha Allah,” he told reporters at his election office in the Dhaka-15 constituency at around 7:00pm.
Speaking at the second press conference of the day, Shafiqur struck a cautious note on his party’s electoral prospects, saying preliminary results from across the country had begun to arrive but a clearer picture might emerge by around 11:00pm.
“It would not be appropriate for us to make any advance comment at this stage,” he said.
However, when asked about the possibility of Jamaat taking the lead, he said initial trends indicated such a prospect, though it could not yet be confirmed.
“We need to wait patiently for some more time,” he said.
He also said if given the opportunity to form a government, Jamaat would seek cooperation from all political parties.
“We would want everyone to stand beside us as partners,” he said.
Referring to apprehensions ahead of the polls, he said there had been widespread fear, anxiety and propaganda suggesting that the election might not take place or that participation would be hindered.
“In the end, the Election Commission and the people together have conducted a good election,” he said, adding that the credit should go less to political parties and more to those who managed the electoral process and played a decisive role in ensuring it was meaningful.
Thanking voters for their participation, Shafiqur said, “A lot of fear was spread ahead of the election. But despite everything, the election has been held and there have been no major untoward incident.”
On his own contest in Dhaka-15, he struck a conciliatory tone. “In any society, mistakes can happen. The person who contested against me in this constituency is also my fellow fighter and colleague. We met twice today as well,” he said.
“When we enter such a contest, only one person will win and the other will accept it. That is normal.”
07:23pm
BNP’s victory is inevitable and clear: Mahdi Amin
Saying that voter turnout was lower due to "misleading activities" by a political rival, BNP today called on its leaders and activists to stay at polling centres until the final results are declared.
The party also directed its polling agents nationwide to maintain close vigilance over the vote counting process.
Speaking at a press briefing at the party’s Gulshan election office in Dhaka, BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said, “There is a clear and huge difference between BNP and the rival political party. To resist that difference was the main purpose behind the violation of the code of conduct since last night."
07:05pm
The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party electoral alliance has described the voting process in the 13th parliamentary election as “excellent,” expressing hopes of winning a “landslide victory” and securing the “highest number” of seats, despite alleging some isolated incidents of violence and irregularities.
The reaction came at a press conference organised on behalf of the 11 parties at Jamaat-e-Islami’s central office in Dhaka's Moghbazar
06:50pm
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today extended his heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to the entire nation as voting in the 13th national parliamentary election and the referendum-2026 concluded in a peaceful, orderly, and festive environment.
"The spontaneous participation of voters, the responsible conduct of political parties, the restraint shown by candidates, and the professionalism of all institutions involved in the electoral process collectively demonstrated that our commitment to democracy remains unwavering," he said in a statement issued by his press wing
5:00pm
Voting in the 13th Parliamentary Election and Referendum is underway across all 42,651 polling centres nationwide.
Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said that voter turnout stood at 47.91 percent till 2:00pm, based on data collected from 36,031 centres.
03:40pm
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman today said his party would accept the election results if the polls are held in a free, fair and controversy-free manner.
“If the election is free, if it is fair, if it is without controversy, then why would we not accept it? Of course we will accept it. All parties will accept it,” he told journalists at the party’s Gulshan chairman’s office.
03:15pm
A polling officer has been withdrawn from duty in Ashulia under the Dhaka-19 constituency after an elderly woman was unable to cast her ballot due to a "mistake", election officials said.
The incident took place around 11:30am at the women’s centre of Doshaid AK School and College (Centre-1), said presiding officer Md Siddiqur Rahman.
03:10pm
Law enforcement agencies recovered more than a hundred ballot papers stamped for the sheaf of paddy symbol from a polling centre in Sherpur-1 (Sadar) constituency this morning and detained two people in connection with the incident.
“The incident occurred around 9:30am at Dakshin Nalbaid Government Primary School polling centre under Char Mochharia Union of Sherpur Sadar upazila. Two BNP supporters allegedly collected over a hundred ballot papers and stamped them in favour of the sheaf of paddy symbol,” District Election Officer Jahangir Hossain said.
3:00pm
Rajshahi turnout crosses 46% by 2:00pm
Voter turnout in Rajshahi district reached 46.16 percent by 2:00pm as polling in the 13th national parliamentary election and referendum proceeded without major disruption.
Afia Akhter, returning officer for the district, said voting was continuing smoothly at all centres, with no significant law and order incidents reported.
Participation remained steady across the six constituencies. Rajshahi-4 recorded the highest turnout at 49 percent, followed by Rajshahi-3 and Rajshahi-5 with 48 percent each. Rajshahi-6 (Bagha–Charghat) registered 46 percent, while Rajshahi-1 (Tanore–Godagari) and Rajshahi-2 (Sadar) each saw around 45 percent turnout.
The district has 2,229,318 registered voters casting ballots at 778 polling centres.
2:50pm
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) Chief Observer, Ivars Ijabs, described today as “a big day for Bangladesh’s democracy”.
“I think this is really a big day for Bangladesh’s democracy,” Ijabs told reporters at Siddheswari Girls' College at New Bailey Road after observing the opening of the vote casting.
02:15pm
Voting at a polling centre in the Bhola Sadar-1 constituency was suspended for about one and a half hours following a clash and crude bomb explosions involving supporters of two candidates.
The incident occurred at the Alinagar School and College centre, where polling remained halted from 12:15pm to 1:45pm, Assistant Returning Officer and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Arifuzzaman confirmed.
He said voting was temporarily suspended after explosions inside the centre triggered chaos.
01:20pm
The Election Commission reported a 32.88 percent turnout at 32,789 polling centres till 12:00pm, Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters at the EC.
He said voting is under way at 42,651 centres across the country and so far no polling centre has seen voting suspended.
01:15pm
Nasiruddin Patwari, chief coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP), visited polling centres in Dhaka-8 today and said voters were supporting the party’s “Shapla Koli” (water lily bud) symbol.
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Photo: Ashutosh Sarkar
Speaking to journalists at Mirza Abbas Mohila College centre in Shahjahanpur around 11:30am, he alleged that NCP supporters were being intimidated due to the party’s growing popularity.
12:55pm
Around 27 percent of voters had cast their ballots in five constituencies of Dhaka by 12:00pm, according to the Dhaka Deputy Commissioner (DC) office.
The constituencies are Dhaka-1, Dhaka-2, Dhaka-3, Dhaka-19 and Dhaka-20, Mahabob Ullah Mazumder, additional deputy commissioner, told The Daily Star.
12:50pm
Voting is under way in a largely peaceful atmosphere across the three hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
In Khagrachhari’s parliamentary constituency, 11 candidates are contesting the election, though the main contest is expected to centre on contenders from the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and two independents.
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Photo: Rikors Chakma
In Bandarban, polling began at 7:30am in a peaceful atmosphere, though turnout remained comparatively thin during the first few hours.
In Rangamati town, voters have been turning out at polling centres since morning, and candidates were seen casting their votes at their respective stations. No untoward incidents have been reported, reports our Rangamati correspondent.
12:45pm
Voting is underway in all 16 constituencies of Chattogram, with election officials reporting peaceful polling and a steady early turnout.
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Moderate queues were seen before different booths in two polling centres at Regional Public Administration Centre (RPAC) in Chattogram around 7:30 am.
12:30pm
Gopalganj: Three people, including two Ansar members and a child, were injured in a crude bomb explosion at a polling centre in Gopalganj today. “The explosion occurred around 9:00am at Reshma International School polling centre in Nichupara area, Additional Superintendent of Police Md Sarwar Hossain told The Daily Star.
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Munshiganj: A crude bomb explosion followed by a chase and counter-chase incident took place at Makhati Gurucharan High School in Munshiganj Sadar upazila this morning. The clash took place between supporters of two rival candidates around 10:00am, confirmed Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station, Md Mominul Islam.
11:45am
Voting in the 13th Parliamentary Election is proceeding in a spontaneous and festive atmosphere, marked by a “large turnout” and visible enthusiasm among voters, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami said today.
“This election is the most vibrant in the past one and a half decades. It is a historic and unprecedented experience for the new generation,” Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahboob Zubair said at a press conference at the party’s central office in Dhaka’s Moghbazar around 10:40am.
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Photo: Amran Hossain/Star
11:20am
After casting his vote at Adamjee Cantonment College polling station, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman called upon voters to cast their votes without fear.
11:00am
Mahbub Ullah Majumder, additional district magistrate of Dhaka, told The Daily Star, "Around 11.78 percent voters cast their votes till 10:00am in Dhaka 1, 2, 3, 19 and 20 constituencies."
10:28am
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus cast his vote at 10:26am at Gulshan Model High School and College.
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10:10am
Independent candidate for Dhaka-9, Tasnim Jara, today alleged that her polling agents faced obstruction at several voting centres, with many denied entry or expelled on what she described as “baseless and fabricated” grounds.
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9:45am
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, also a candidate from Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6, cast his vote at Gulshan Model School and College centre in the Gulshan area.
“We will prioritise improving law and order in the country so that people feel secure if we can form the government,” he said after casting his vote at Gulshan Model High School and College in Gulshan-2.
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09:40am
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said the election is progressing in a free and fair manner so far.
“So far, the election is going on in a free and fair manner. A few untoward incidents were reported outside polling centres, which are not significant,” he said.
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“We are happy with the situation,” Nasir told reporters after casting his vote at Eskaton Garden High School around 9:30am.
09:30am
Independent candidate Rumeen Farhana who was expelled from BNP cast her vote at Shahbazpur Uttor Govt Primary School. She is contesting from Brahmanbaria-2.
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09:00am
First-time voters have made up the largest share of early voters, reflecting enthusiastic participation among the youths. Officials and polling agents have reported that the voting process is proceeding smoothly, with no issues or disruptions observed at the centre so far.
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Photo: Firoz Ahmed/Star
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Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed/Star
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8:30am
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Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman cast his vote around 8:30am at Manipur High School centre.
8:22am
IAB Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim, cast his vote at Rupatali Lalar Dighirpar Government Primary School centre of Barishal City.
8:30am
Sarjis Alam, the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance-nominated candidate for Panchagarh-1 and chief organiser of NCP in the northern region, cast his vote at Bamonkumar Rakhaldebi Hat High School polling centre in Atwari upazila of Panchagarh.
“If polling continues in a free and fair manner until the afternoon and no complaints arise anywhere, we have the mentality to accept the people’s verdict,” Sarjis Alam.
8:15am
NCP Member Secretary and 11-party alliance candidate from Rangpur-4 Akhter Hossen cast his vote at Bhayerhat Polling Centre in Kaunia, accompanied by his mother.
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8:10am
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam said, “I have cast my first vote in life without any hassle. I urge everybody to cast their vote.”
Nahid, who is contesting the election from the Dhaka-11 constituency, cast his vote at AKM Rahmatullah College in Badda in the morning.
7:50am
Mirza Fakhrul casts his vote
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BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir cast his vote at Thakurgaon Government Girls’ High School centre around 7:40am.
7:40am
Large numbers of voters gathered in front of several polling stations in Gazipur early this morning, ahead of the start of voting.
Both men and women were seen queuing outside centres before polling began. Voters expressed satisfaction with the law and order situation, reports our Gazipur correspondent.
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At 7:15am, Mohammad Ismail Hossain, presiding officer of a polling centre, told The Daily Star that the centre has 3,360 registered voters and 12 booths have been set up.
Members of law enforcement agencies were deployed around the centre and were seen on alert.
A local BNP worker, who declined to be named, said BNP candidate AKM Fazlul Haque Milon was expected to cast his vote at the centre by 8:00am.
7:30am
Voting in the 13th Parliamentary Election began across Bangladesh this morning to determine the country's next new government and decide on a national referendum, widely seen as pivotal for the country’s democratic future.
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Polling opened at 7:30am and will continue without break until 4:30pm at 42,779 centres nationwide.
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7:00am
Long queues of voters were seen from as early as 6:00am at polling centre at the Monipur High School in Shewrapara. Residents arrived soon after morning prayers to cast their ballots.
Md Nasiruddin, 36, a resident of Monipur Kathaltala, said he wanted to vote before everyone else. “I wished to cast my vote first, so I came from home and stood in the line early,” he told The Daily Star.
After 7:00am, the queues swelled rapidly. By 7:15am, nearly a hundred male and female voters were waiting in two separate lines to enter the centres. At around the same time, polling agents of different candidates arrived and took their positions inside.
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The scene in front of Motijheel Ideal School and College was one of quiet anticipation, with voters assembling well before the official start of polling. Several elderly and physically challenged voters were given priority. One of them, Sirajuddoula, who has difficulty walking, was allowed to sit at the front of the queue.
By around 6:45am, voters had begun lining up steadily. Among the early arrivals was Md Ismail Hossain, who joined a small queue of nine people, the first two dressed in traditional panjabi and prayer caps.
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The institution falls under Dhaka-15 constituency and has four polling centres -- numbered 22, 23, 24 and 25.
Voting officially began at 7:30am, with voters entering the centres in an orderly manner under the supervision of election officials.
Election at a glance-
Candidates: BNP: 292; Jamaat: 225; NCP: 32; Jatiya Party (Ershad): 196; Islami Andolan Bangladesh: 259
Voters: Total registered voters: 12.77 crore; Male voters: 6,48,25,361; Female voters: 6,28,85,200; Hijra voters: 1,232
50 political parties are in the race; Total seats: 300 (Election in 299 seats)
Polling Centres: Total polling centres: 42,779; 21,506 centres identified as "Risky"
