Staff Reporter:
Vote counting began after the end of polling in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections at 4pm in a peaceful and festive manner at 42,024 voting centers in 299 constituencies across the country.
The ruling Awami League is seemed to win the absolute majority in this election as the major opposition BNP boycotted the election.
Voting began at 8am and it continued till 4pm without any break.
Since the morning, voters stood in queue to exercise their franchise in festive manner across the country.
Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote at Dhaka City College here at 8:04am. Later, her daughter Saima Wazed voted at the same centre.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal voted at Habibullah Bahar University College center here this morning and hoped voting would be held in a peaceful manner countrywide.
“Every five years, national election comes. We complete the election process with coordinated efforts of all,” he told newsmen after exercising his franchise at around 8:30 am.
According to Election Commission officials, voter turnout was over 27 percent at 3pm.
Turnout was 18 percent in four hours.
Since the morning both male and female voters were seen casting their votes in a peaceful atmosphere as a festive mood is prevailing in the polling centers across the country amid the tight security of the law enforcement agencies as well as armed forces.
The EC took all-out preparations to hold the elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner.
As many as 11,93,33,157 voters, including 6,05,92,169 male, 5,87,40,140 female and 848 transgender, were registered to exercise their franchise to elect 299 parliament members yesterday.
A total of 1,969 candidates, including 1,533 from 28 political parties and 436 independents, are vying in the polls in 299 constituencies.
Around eight lakh officials are discharging their duties in the voting while around 3,000 executive and judicial magistrates side by side with eight lakh law enforcers, including members of armed forces, are on duty to maintain law and order and ensure public security.
A total of 66 returning officers (ROs), including two divisional commissioners and 64 deputy commis-sioners (DCs), are performing their responsibilities to conduct the polls.
Members of the armed forces were deployed on Wednesday across the country to assist the local civil administration in holding the general election in a free, fair, and peaceful manner.
Army personnel are performing their duties in 62 districts while Navy personnel have been deployed in two coastal districts – Bhola and Barguna- and 19 upazilas “In Aid to the Civil Power”.
Besides, members of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) are providing assistance to the voting centres in re-mote hilly areas in the country with helicopters.
Members of law enforcement agencies and armed forces will remain deployed till January 10 to ensure peace, and control law and order in the country.
In addition, BGB Dog Squads specially trained on explosive materials are working in different areas across the country to deal with any violent activities.
Besides, the Fire Service and Civil Defence has formed a central monitoring and coordination cell to deal with any kind of incident including fire and violent activities during the JS elections across the country.
Around 23,000 local and around 200 foreign observers are monitoring the polls while an adequate num-ber of local and foreign journalists are also in the field to observe the elections and collect photographs and information.
