Voting began nationwide at 7:30 a.m. local time across more than 42,000 polling centers and is scheduled to continue until 4:30 p.m. Over 127 million registered voters are expected to cast ballots in the election, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
In parts of the capital, Dhaka, long lines formed outside polling stations on Wednesday night ahead of the vote. “This is my first time voting, and I'm really excited,” Miraz Ahmed, a Gen Z voter, told Xinhua. He said he was collecting his voter number from a help desk to avoid delays when voting opened.
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The Election Commission said 2,028 candidates are competing for 299 of the 300 directly elected parliamentary seats. The vote for the remaining constituency will take place at a later date following the death of a candidate.
This marks Bangladesh’s first general election since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down in August 2024 amid widespread political unrest.
Under Bangladesh’s parliamentary system, a party must secure at least 151 seats to form a government. Officials stated that vote counting will begin at polling stations immediately after voting ends.
