Bangladesh Polls Live: Heavy Security Outside EC Office In Dhaka As Vote Counting Underway

Bangladesh Polls Live: Please follow this space for all the latest news and updates from Bangladesh as it goes for general election on Sunday.

Background

Bangladesh Polls Live: Please follow this space for all the latest news and updates from Bangladesh as it goes for general elections on Sunday. The polling for the 300-member Bangladeshi Parliament started on Sunday amid pre poll violence and boycott calls by main oppositon Bangladesh Nationalist Party and around 13 other like-minded parties. The BNP began a 48-hour nationwide strike on Saturday against the "illegal government" amidst sporadic violence. According to country's Election Commission, a total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to vote at Sunday's polls at over 42,000 polling stations across the country. As many as 1,970 candidates are in the fray including 90 women and 79 candidates from religious and ethnic minorities. Apart from 28 political parties that are contesting the polls, record 747 independent candidates have filed their nomination with majority of them belonging to the ruling Awami League. The polls, being held in tight security, will have over 100 observers, including three from India. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League is expected to win for a straight fourth time as the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former premier Khaleda Zia, 78, who is under house arrest as a convict of graft charges, boycotted the polls.The Sunday polls have also been called as contest between ruling Awami League candidates and Awami League independents as out of the total 1,970 candidates in the fray, 747 Independents have filed their nomination with majority of them being from AL. Incidents of sporadic pre-poll violence marred the country as a passenger train was set ablaze by miscreants on Friday, killing four people and several polling station across the country were also torched, though no casulaties were reported from those attacks. In a nationally televised address ahead of the polls this week, PM Hasina urged the pro-democratic and law-abiding parties not to fuel ideas that “disrupt" the country's constitutional process.

07/01/2024 23:14:46

Bangladesh PM Hasina Re-Elected To Parliament From Gopalganj-3 Constituency

Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina was re-elected to parliament on Sunday from the Gopalganj-3 constituency after a landslide victory in the general elections marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party

07/01/2024 22:48:32

Bangladesh Polls Live: Heavy security outside EC Office in Dhaka as vote counting underway

Visuals of heavy security deployment outside Bangladesh Election Commission in Dhaka as counting of votes is underway for the general elections held earlier today, PTI reported.

07/01/2024 22:05:59

40% Voter Turnout Decent Amid Oppn Boycott: Awami League Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua

“The 40 per cent voter turnout is a decent one considering the fact that one of the leading oppositions boycotted the election and created anarchy. We have to look at the quality of the election. If the election was free and fair, the voting percentage doesn’t matter,” Awami League Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua told PTI. 

07/01/2024 21:19:11

Bangladesh Reports 40% Voter Turnout: Election Commission

As per Bangladesh Election Commission, the country reported a voter turnout of 40%. 

07/01/2024 18:38:06

Bangladesh Polls Live: Overall voter turnout at 40%

 Bangladeshis on Sunday turned up in low numbers to cast their votes for the general elections likely to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fourth straight term, amid sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition party BNP and its allies.According to the initial estimates, the voter turnout was around 40 per cent but the figure could change after the final count, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said. (PTI)

07/01/2024 17:43:48

Voting In Parliamentary Elections Ends, Counting Begins

Voting for parliamentary elections ends. Counting process is underway, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.

07/01/2024 16:31:22

Voter Turnout At 27.15% Till 3 PM Amid Boycott By Opposition BNP

Bangladeshis on Sunday turned up in low numbers to cast their votes for the general elections likely to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fourth straight term, amid sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition party BNP and its allies.The turnout for the 12th national parliamentary election has only been 27.15 per cent as of 3 pm, PTI reported. 

07/01/2024 15:25:03

PM Sheikh Hasina Casts Vote At Dhaka City College

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote at the Dhaka City College polling centre for the 12th general elections, local media reported.

07/01/2024 14:03:45

Bangladesh Polls Live: 2 Wounded During Clash Between AL Supporters, Independent Candidate In Chattogram

Two people sustained bullet injuries after a clash erupted between supporters of the ruling Awami League and independent candidate in the port city of Chattogram, reports Daily Sun. 

07/01/2024 13:24:13

Bangladesh Polls Live: Awami League Would Win Just 20-30 Seats If Elections Were Free And Fair: BNP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Nitai Roy Chowdhury says: "If elections were held in a free and fair manner, then (PM Sheikh Hasina-led) Awami League would win just 20 to 30 seats." 

07/01/2024 13:00:04

Bangladesh Polls Live: 8.37% Voter Turnout Till 10 AM Amid Sporadic Incidents Of Violence

A voter turnout of 8.37 per cent was recorded till 10 am across 42,000 polling centres, as per the country's Election Commission, reports Dhaka Tribune. The turnout figure will be revised every two hours. 

07/01/2024 12:37:11

Bangladesh Polls Live: Election Environment Satisfactory, Says Contesting Oppn Party Leader

Presidium Member of Jatiya Party, the main opposition party contesting the Sunday polls, Sherifa Quader said she is satisfied with the overall environment of the election. 

Quader is party's candidate from Dhaka-18. 

when asked about party candidates withdrawing their candidature, she said she had nothing to say about this as it depends on individuals. 

07/01/2024 11:57:55

Bangladesh Elections Live: Awami League Candidate And Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan Casts Vote From Magura-1

Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, who is contesting the polls as a candidate from Awami League, casts his vote from Magura-1.

07/01/2024 11:19:55

Bangladesh Polls Live: Local Awami League Leader Found Dead Near Polling Station In Munshiganj

A local leader from the ruling Awami League was found dead with stab wounds on the back of his head near a polling station in Munshiganj, reports the Daily Star. 

The body of Zillur Rahman, a supporter of AL-nominated candidate from Munshiganj-3 Mrinal Kanti Das, was found by the locals around 100 feet from the Rikabibazar Government Primary School polling centre in Munshiganj's Mirkadim municipality around 9:30am, the report adds. 

07/01/2024 10:19:02

Bangladesh Polls Live: Clash Breaks Out Between BNP Members And Police

Clashes have been reported between members of the main Opposition BNP, which is boycotting the polls, and policemen in Chattogram city's Chandgaon area. 

"A group of BNP men were staging demonstrations by blocking the road with burning tyres. They attacked on-duty police personnel when the latter tried to free the road," Additional Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Dutta of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (North Division) told The Daily Star. 

"They threw stones at police, who retaliated with bullets from shotguns," he said.

07/01/2024 10:14:22

Bangladesh Polls Live: Voting Cancelled In Narsingdi Over Allegations Of Ballot Stuffing

Shortly after the polls began at 8 am on Sunday, voting was cancelled at a polling centre in Narsingdi-4 over allegations of ballot stuffing, according to local media. 

07/01/2024 10:03:17

Bangladesh Polls Live: Low Voter Turnout In Early Hours. PM Hasina Sure About Victory

Voter turnout remained low in many polling centre in the first hour after voting began at 8 am. 

A polling station in Dhaka recorded only 175 votes while no votes were cast at two centres, as per the Daily Star.

A father and son duo reached a polling station in Rajshahi, 12 minutes after the polling began after which the centre saw no voters for the next half-an-hour. 

Meanwhile Prime Minsiter Sheikh Hasina boasted of her electoral win saying her party will sweep the polls and urged people to vote for “Boat,” the election symbol of the ruling party.

07/01/2024 09:10:39

Bangladesh Polls: EC Expects Voter Turnout Not To Be Less Than 50% Amid Boycott Call By Oppn

Bangladesh Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman says: "I think the voter turnout will not be less than 50 per cent by the end of the day. The environment is peaceful across the country." 

However, boycott call and incidents of sporadic violence are expected to keep the turnout low, according to Bangladeshi media. 

07/01/2024 09:07:53

Bangladesh Polls: Voting Begins At 8, To Continue Till 4 PM

The polling began for the 300-member Bangladeshi Parliament on Sunday at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was among the first voters who cast her vote three minutes after the polling began. The Sunday polls are being conducted on 299 seats after the death of a candidate.  

07/01/2024 09:02:46

Bangladesh Polls — 'This Election Will Be Free And Fair': PM Hasina Casts Vote Amid Boycott Call By Oppn

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged people to go to polling centres and cast vote. 

"We have suffered and struggled a lot for this voting right. This election will be free and fair. We want cooperation from the people … cast your vote for boat," she told journalists as she cast her vote, three minutes after the polling started, reports the Daily Star.