Bangladesh goes to polls on Feb 12 amid tight security; 127.7 million to vote

Dhaka, Feb 11: Bangladesh will head to the polls on February 12 for its 13th parliamentary elections, 18 months after an interim government took charge following the collapse of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule amid widespread, violent protests.

The elections are being held simultaneously with a referendum on an 84-point reform package. The contest is primarily between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of Hasina’s Awami League, which was disbanded by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ interim government and barred from contesting.

Polling will be conducted in 299 constituencies from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. A total of 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties, along with 273 independents, are contesting. The BNP has fielded 291 candidates, the highest among parties. There are 83 female candidates in the fray.

According to Election Commission (EC) data, the country has 127,700,597 registered voters, of whom 3.58% are first-time voters. For the first time, nearly 800,000 expatriate Bangladeshis registered with the EC will be able to vote through an IT-based postal ballot system.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin reaffirmed the poll body’s commitment to ensuring a free, fair and credible election.

“The election will be completed as promised to the people,” he said while briefing international observers and media representatives in Dhaka, adding that all necessary materials, including ballot papers, had been distributed to returning officers.

Security arrangements for the polls are the largest in Bangladesh’s electoral history. Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah said nearly 958,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed nationwide.

“For the first time, UAVs, drones and body-worn cameras are being used for law enforcement,” he said.

Around 25,000 body-worn cameras will be deployed, some providing live IP-based feeds, while others will record locally. CCTV cameras have been installed in over 90% of the 42,659 polling centres for continuous monitoring.

Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam earlier said that 24,000 of nearly 43,000 polling centres had been identified as “high” or “moderate” risk-prone.

Police provided the EC with a list indicating that 1,614 of 2,131 polling centres in Dhaka were risk-prone. However, the army has identified two centres in Dhaka city as “risky”.

In addition, 2,098 executive magistrates and 657 judicial magistrates will be on duty to oversee the election process.

Representatives from 45 countries and organisations, including election management bodies and international institutions, are observing the polls.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud expressed confidence that results of both the parliamentary election and the referendum would be announced without significant delay.

“The voting atmosphere is very good. A festive mood prevails. We are working in a well-planned manner. I hope the results will be published without significant delay,” he said.

Hasina’s Awami League government was ousted on August 5, 2024, following a student-led protest movement known as the July Uprising.

Subsequent pre-poll surveys by consulting firms and research organisations have indicated that the BNP is the frontrunner, with its chairman Tarique Rahman seen as a leading contender for the premiership.

PTI