The long election day has drawn to a close, leaving Bangladesh in a moment of pause between ballots cast and verdicts declared. Voting in the 13th national parliamentary elections and referendum ended at 4:30pm on Thursday after nine hours of largely peaceful polling, shifting the focus now to counting rooms across the country.
From early morning, voters lined up at 42,779 centres in 299 constituencies, many describing a festive atmosphere despite scattered tensions. Officials said those still waiting in queues by the closing time were allowed to vote, ensuring that no latecomer was turned away before the counting process began.
The polls carry unusual weight. One and a half years after the fall of the Awami League government during the July mass uprising, citizens cast ballots not only to form a new elected administration but also to decide through a referendum whether sweeping constitutional reforms should move forward. A “yes” vote would pave the way for major structural changes.
Election Commission sources said counting teams are first separating parliamentary and referendum ballots before tallying them in parallel. With results expected to come in phases, attention has now shifted from campaign rhetoric to numbers emerging from the counting tables.
The day was not entirely without incident. Isolated clashes, allegations of fake voting attempts and a cocktail explosion in two districts were reported, while four people died of illness in separate incidents linked to election-day stress, according to officials. Political parties also lodged complaints over irregularities, and an 11-party alliance demanded suspension of polling at several centres in Cumilla-8, Shariatpur-2 and Patuakhali-1, alleging voters could not cast ballots freely there.
Despite these concerns, authorities said voting was not halted anywhere, except in Sherpur-3, where polling had earlier been suspended due to the death of a candidate and will be rescheduled.
Behind the scenes, a vast logistical machine powered the day. More than 785,000 election officials were deployed, alongside an extensive security presence including members of the army, navy, air force, BGB, Coast Guard, police, RAB and Ansar. In total, over 127.7 million registered voters were eligible to take part, choosing from 2,028 candidates representing 50 participating parties and independent platforms.
As ballot boxes are opened and counting gains pace, the country now waits for the numbers that will determine both the next parliament and the direction of constitutional change. The festive noise of voting has faded, replaced by a quieter anticipation as Bangladesh watches for the first official results.