The first two hours of voting in the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the nationwide referendum have passed peacefully. During this time, polling continued smoothly across the country, with no reports of disturbances.

Voting began simultaneously at 7:30 a.m. today, Thursday, in 299 parliamentary constituencies. Balloting will continue without interruption until 4:30 p.m.

Today’s vote comes a year and a half after the Awami League government was ousted during the mass uprising of July–August 2024. Citizens are casting their ballots to establish a newly elected government. At the same time, voters are participating in a referendum, giving “Yes” or “No” votes on several proposed fundamental amendments to the Constitution.

Voters started arriving at polling centers early in the morning. As the hours passed, turnout gradually increased in many locations. A festive atmosphere was visible at various centers as people gathered to exercise their democratic rights.

However, some polling stations reported lower voter turnout in the early hours. Election officials expressed optimism that participation would increase as the day progresses.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir cast his vote in the morning at Thakurgaon Government Girls’ High School center. He is contesting from the Thakurgaon-1 constituency. After voting, he stated that this election would determine the future direction of Bangladesh and mark a renewed journey toward democracy.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman voted at Monipur High School and College center in the capital. The Dhaka-15 candidate cast his ballot around 8:45 a.m. He expressed hope that the election would begin a new chapter for Bangladesh and lead to the formation of a government representing the country’s 180 million people, rather than any individual, family, or single party.

Nahid Islam, Convener of the National Citizens Party (NCP), voted at AKM Rahmat Ullah University College center in Beraid, Dhaka. The Dhaka-11 candidate, representing the 11-party electoral alliance, cast his vote around 8:00 a.m. He told reporters that their alliance was formed with the goal of forming the government and that they believe they are close to achieving that objective. He added that they would accept the public mandate if the election is conducted fairly.

At Capital High School, located opposite the National Parliament building, voter turnout appeared low around 8:00 a.m., with no visible queues. In one polling room with 537 registered voters, only five had cast their ballots by that time.

At Tejgaon Ideal School and College in Dhaka-12 constituency, Presiding Officer Riyad Ahmed reported around 8:45 a.m. that out of 3,286 registered voters, 95 ballots had been cast within the first hour and fifteen minutes of voting.

The election in Sherpur-3 constituency has been canceled following the death of a candidate. Of the 60 registered political parties with the Election Commission, 50 are participating in this election, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizens Party (NCP), Jatiya Party, and Islami Andolon Bangladesh. The Awami League’s registration has been suspended due to restrictions on its activities, preventing the party from taking part in this election.

More than 127.7 million voters are eligible to vote in this election. Over 50 million voters are between the ages of 18 and 37, and nearly half of the total electorate are women. Analysts believe that young and female voters could play a decisive role in determining the outcome.