"Voting began peacefully, say Commonwealth observers."

Voting has commenced peacefully across Bangladesh for the 13th National Parliament elections and accompanying referenda, according to reports from international observer groups. Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group and former President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, confirmed that polling began in a calm and orderly manner, expressing hope that this will continue throughout the country. He made the remarks while observing proceedings at the Vikarunnisa Noon School and College polling station in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, Evert Izabs, head of the European Union Election Observation Mission, described the day as a significant moment for Bangladeshi democracy. “Voting started at the scheduled time across polling stations. The EU anticipates a free, fair, and credible election,” he told the media.

Polling officially opened at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, 12 February, though voters had begun arriving at polling centres from the early hours of the morning. Voting will continue until 4:30 p.m., with citizens casting their ballots for 299 parliamentary constituencies nationwide.

A total of 42,779 polling stations have been set up across the country, comprising 247,482 polling booths to accommodate voters. This year, 50 political parties are participating, fielding candidates alongside independents to contest the elections.

The total number of candidates competing stands at 2,028, of which 1,755 are representing political parties and 273 are independents. Female representation includes 83 candidates—63 from political parties and 20 independents.

The electorate for this election totals 127,711,893 registered voters, divided as follows: 64,825,361 male voters, 62,885,200 female voters, and 1,232 voters identifying as Hijra.

The election in Sherpur-3 constituency has been postponed due to the death of a candidate from Jamaat-e-Islami, leaving 299 constituencies to go to the polls simultaneously.

Key Election Statistics – 13th National Parliament

Observers from across the world are closely monitoring the electoral process to ensure transparency, fairness, and adherence to democratic norms. Early reports indicate orderly conduct and enthusiastic participation by voters, signalling a positive start to what is expected to be a landmark election in Bangladesh’s democratic history.