Bangladesh heads to polls Thursday as EC completes preparations
The 13th national parliamentary election, scheduled for Thursday (February 12), is just around the corner. The Election Commission (EC) has stated that all preparations have been completed. The commission also noted that, overall, law and order have remained satisfactory, though some challenges persist. Public expectations are higher than ever this year. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the activities of the Awami League, whose political activities remain banned. The EC has urged everyone to act responsibly to prevent any isolated or unwanted incidents.
The long-awaited election and referendum will be held on Thursday, with voting scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Voters in line after the official closing time will also be allowed to cast their votes, EC Commissioner Retired Brigadier General Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said at a press conference at the Election Commission office in Agargaon on Tuesday (February 10).
Voting will take place across 299 parliamentary constituencies nationwide. However, polling in Sherpur-3 has been postponed due to the death of a candidate.
Commissioner Sanaullah stated that a total of 2,028 candidates are contesting the elections, including those from 50 political parties and independents, of which 81 are women. The total number of voters exceeds 12.77 crore, with roughly 6.48 crore male voters and 6.28 crore female voters. Voting will take place at 42,958 polling centers across the country.
The EC has classified approximately 50 percent of polling centers as general and the remaining 50 percent as important or “sensitive.” To avoid isolated incidents, the commission has urged everyone to act responsibly.
Sanaullah added that security measures for this election include drones, body cameras, and CCTV. About 958,000 law enforcement personnel, 2,100 executive magistrates, and 657 judicial magistrates will be deployed on the ground. Additionally, 25,000 body-worn cameras will be in use.
The EC also reported that law enforcement agencies have seized more than 850 firearms over the past two months, which could help prevent potential violence. For postal voting, 703,000 ballots have already been delivered to returning officers, with the remaining ballots expected to arrive on time.
Two separate ballots will be used in this election: a white ballot for the parliamentary election and a pink ballot for the referendum. Both results will be counted and announced together to avoid confusion and unrest among voters.
The commission stated that a total of 45,000 observers and about 10,000 journalists will be present for the elections. This includes 45,330 domestic observers, nearly 350 international observers, and 9,700 journalists from domestic and international media, among them 156 foreign journalists.
The EC has also reported that over 300 cases have been filed so far for various election-related offenses, and more than 500 investigations have been completed.
Commissioner Sanaullah emphasized that journalists are allowed to take photos and videos at polling centers, but entering the voting booths, live broadcasting, or interviewing voters is prohibited. Voters are strictly forbidden from using mobile phones inside the booths. Everyone must act responsibly to ensure a peaceful, fair, and festive election atmosphere.
Public expectations are particularly high from Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, as citizens hope this election will reflect their aspirations.
Holding two votes in one day presents multiple challenges for the EC, including managing ballots of different colors for the parliamentary election and referendum. Additionally, monitoring whether the Awami League interferes with voting adds to the commission’s concerns. The use of AI on social media for propaganda and misinformation is also a source of worry for the authorities.