Voting for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election was held peacefully and smoothly on Thursday, February 12, across several districts, including Barishal, Khulna, Bagerhat, Joypurhat, Pabna, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Bogura, Sirajganj, Dinajpur and Naogaon. Polling began at 7:30 am and continued till 4:30 pm under tight security, with law enforcement and armed forces deployed at vulnerable and sensitive centres.
BARISHAL: After nearly two decades, voters across the southern region, including Barishal, exercised their franchise in a free, fair, and credible parliamentary election.
Voting began early in the chilly, foggy winter morning, and although female voter turnout was low until 10 am, the situation improved steadily as the day progressed. By 12:30 pm, men and women were seen queuing outside nearly every polling booth. While urban areas saw slower turnout, rural and suburban areas reported higher participation. In many southern upazilas, including Indurkani in Pirojpur, around 40 per cent of registered voters had cast their ballots by midday, compared with just over 30 per cent in Barishal City.
Despite the early cold, with temperatures at 14.9°C dropping 1.7°C below normal, voters braved the fog and chill. Early turnout was largely male, but overall participation improved as the day progressed. Election officials and party workers noted similar trends. Limited public transport, particularly in city areas, caused minor difficulties for voters reaching polling centres. Nevertheless, those who voted expressed enthusiasm, repeatedly emphasising the significance of casting their first vote in 16 years.
In Barishal-5 (Sadar), BNP candidate Mujibur Rahman Sarwar voted at the Syedur Rahman Primary School polling centre near his residence. His spouse and daughter cast their votes at Syeda Majidunnesa Secondary School.
Meanwhile, Islamic Movement candidate Mufti Syed Mohammad Faizul Karim voted at Rupatali Housing Estate School in the city, while Barishal-1 candidate Zahir Uddin Swapon voted at Gourondi's Shorikol centre. AB Party General Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad cast his vote at Madhavpasha Chandradweep Secondary School in Babuganj.
By 12:30 pm, at 2,838 polling centres across 21 constituencies in the southern region, thousands of voters were present both inside and outside booths. Authorities identified nearly 600 centres as sensitive or high-risk, deploying additional armed police at these locations. Each polling station also had three armed personnel, multiple unarmed Ansar, and VDP members on duty.
Of Barishal Division's 7,981,104 registered voters, 3,926,919 are women, including 78 hijra voters. For the first time since 2008, over 2 million young voters are casting their votes, seen by political observers as key in determining the next government.
While the election proceeded smoothly under strict security, isolated incidents were reported. In Kazirhat, Barishal, BNP and Jamaat activists allegedly attacked each other. In Dhalua Union, Barguna Sadar, a supporter of the Islamic Movement was reportedly injured by BNP supporters.
BAGERHAT: Voting was held across 547 polling centres in Bagerhat amid pre-election allegations of intimidation, unfair practices, and concerns over CCTV cameras. On Wednesday, independent candidates and Jamaat leaders had held separate press conferences at Bagerhat Press Club, raising complaints about alleged misinformation on social media, intimidation, and the lack of a level playing field.
Independent candidate and former MP M.A.H. Selim, contesting in Bagerhat-1, 2, and 3, and Jamaat candidate Sheikh Manjurul Haque Rahad of Bagerhat-2 were among those who publicly voiced their concerns. Earlier, BNP candidate Barrister Mohammad Zakir Hossain had discussed election issues with journalists at his residence in Sonatala.
Thursday morning, voters arrived early at polling centers, forming separate lines for men and women. At Khan Jahan Ali Degree College in Bagerhat Sadar, 2,050 voters were registered, including 1,084 women and 966 men. Four polling rooms, each with two secret booths, had been set up to ensure efficient voting. Women took 2-4 minutes per vote, while men took 1-3 minutes. By 9:00am, 210 voters had cast their ballots-91 women and 119 men.
Barrister Zakir Hossain of BNP voted at Khan Jahan Ali Degree College, while Jamaat candidate Sheikh Manjurul Haque Rahad cast his vote at Singra Government Primary School. M.A.H. Selim voted at Bagerhat Government High School and later alleged that some of his polling agents had been removed from booths and threatened by BNP supporters.
Across Bagerhat's four constituencies, 23 candidates contested, though two independents had withdrawn days earlier, leaving 21 active contenders. A total of 1.36 million voters were registered across the constituencies. Over 10,000 security personnel-including police, army, RAB, navy, Coast Guard, BGB, and Ansar-were deployed to ensure smooth and secure voting.
DINAJPUR: Voting for election was completed peacefully and smoothly in Dinajpur District. Polling ran continuously from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, after which vote counting began at the polling centres.
A total of 844 polling centres were operational across the district. Strong security arrangements, including the presence of law enforcement personnel at every centre, ensured that no major untoward incidents were reported. Voters arrived early in the morning and exercised their right to vote in an orderly manner.
In Dinajpur Sadar Upazila, polling was conducted at 130 centres. Both men and women participated actively throughout the day. Observers reported long queues outside polling booths, with voters patiently waiting their turn to cast ballots.
Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md. Rafiqul Islam confirmed that counting had started immediately after the conclusion of polling. Results are expected to be announced gradually as counting progresses.
The peaceful conduct of voting in Dinajpur reflects strong voter participation and effective election management.
KHULNA: Polling of the 13th parliamentary election ended at 4:30 pm peacefully amid a festive mood.
Men and women voters cast their ballots on Thursday after the voting began at 7:30 am in polling centres in all six constituencies in Khulna City and district.
This year, the voter turnout was around 65 percent in all six Khulna constituencies, the number rose sharply from the morning with the passing of time.
A total of 38 candidates from different political parties including the BNP contested for 6 parliamentary seats of Khulna Division.
A total of 18,624 law enforcement agencies including army and navy were deployed in all 6 constituencies in Khulna.
A total of 38 candidates contested in all six constituencies. Around 65% voters out of 20, 78,253 voters casted votes, of them 10, 33,851 are men and 10, 44,375 are women. A total of 54 magistrates including 40 executive magistrates and 14 judicial magistrates were deployed, according to the Election Commissioner (EC).
Khulna Returning Officer (RO) and also DC A S M Jamshed Khondokar said, the voting ended in a peaceful manner in Khulna without any incident.
At least 62% to 65% of voters casted their votes in all six constituencies, he said, adding that votes counting is continuing.
JOYPURHAT: Voting in two parliamentary constituencies of Joypurhat District was held mostly in a peaceful and festive atmosphere.
Visiting several polling centres, this correspondent found voters casting their ballots enthusiastically amid a celebratory mood. Abdul Rashid, presiding officer of Parulia Government Primary School polling centre in Joypurhat Sadar, said there had been a strong turnout since morning.
A total of 4,559 voters were registered at the centre, and polling was conducted in a calm and orderly environment, he added.
Shefali Rani, a woman voter aged over 60, expressed satisfaction after casting her vote, saying the environment was pleasant and secure. At Ramdeo Bajla Government High School polling centre, local voter Sardar Rashed Mobarak from Sardar Para area said he was happy to cast his vote peacefully.
At Joypurhat Government College polling centre, long queues of voters were seen waiting patiently to exercise their franchise.
At Balighata Alim Madrasa centre in Panchbibi Upazila, the total number of voters was 2,850, including 1,464 women. Presiding officer Sultan Shahnewaz Sarkar said that 421 voters had cast their votes by 9:30am.
According to the district election office, voting began peacefully at a total of 255 polling centres across the district - 151 in Joypurhat-1 constituency and 104 in Joypurhat-2.
District Election Officer Mahmud Hasan said closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras had been installed at most polling centres to ensure free, fair and transparent voting.
Superintendent of Police Mina Mahmud said that extensive security arrangements had been deployed across the district.
The law enforcement deployment included two platoons of RAB, 13 platoons of BGB, 618 members of the army, 1,022 police personnel and 3,315 Ansar members. In addition, 20 executive magistrates, including one judicial magistrate in each upazila, were on duty to maintain law and order.
Out of the total 255 polling centres, 100 were identified as important or risky, while the remaining 155 were marked as general centres.
District Returning Officer and DC Al Mamun Mia told journalists that members of law enforcement agencies had been monitoring polling centres round the clock since morning.
PABNA: A festive atmosphere prevails. Strict security measures have been put in place parliament election.
The administration is very active across the country to control the law-and-order situation in Pabna District.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has said that three-tier security measures have been put in place for the elections.
Additional police, Ansar and RAB have been deployed at important intersections and polling stations in different upazilas of Pabna districts. Administration of police, Ansar VDP, RAB and armed forces members and BGB are patrolling in Pabna districts to maintain peace and order on the election day.
This is the first time that technology is being used on a large scale. CCTV cameras have been installed in most of the centres.
Specifically, Ishwardi is an important industrial and railway junction area, and intelligence surveillance has also been increased at the centres here. The local administration is regularly conducting miking and awareness campaigns so that voters can reach the centres without any problems.
A total of 1132366 males and 1160958 females, and the total voter is 2293324 in the nine upazilas of the district.
PIROJPUR: Peaceful voting was held at three constituencies in the district. The election conducting authority said no major incident was reported across the district.
District election office sources informed that by 2pm, 45.48 per cent votes had been cast. Among a total of 1,042,827 voters, 468,904 voters cast their votes in the meantime. Twelve voters sent their postal ballots, which were not counted with the percentage, it was said.
Pirojpur Army camp commander Major Israk said voters were celebrating the election in a festive manner. No unpleasant news was received from any of the 418 centres covering seven upazilas under the three constituencies of the district.
Local sources said, two observers were halted for questioning at Bhandaria Upazila. Some sealed ballots and presiding officer signed result sheets were seized from Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP) nominated candidate Anisur Rahman Munna of the seat.
Election experts expect 60 per cent votes may be counted in the district. In Pirojpur Sadar and Nazirpur, numerous minority voters cast their votes at their respective centres, but in Indurkani Upazila the turnout was fewer.
BNP nominated candidate Principal Alamgir Hossain said he was hopeful about victory. District Jamaat General Secretary Zahirul Islam said although there were some incidents, they would win the election.
RAJBARI: Voting was held peacefully, credibly, and with high participation across Rajbari on Thursday.
In the district's constituencies 109 and 110, voting took place smoothly at 354 polling centres from morning until afternoon. In the first constituency, 430,215 voters exercised their right to vote, while 559,693 voters cast their ballots in the second constituency.
NCP candidate for Rajbari-2, Jamil Hejazi, claimed that his polling agents were allegedly threatened inside a booth, though no formal complaints were received.
Rajbari DC Sultana Akter confirmed that voting was conducted in an orderly and peaceful manner throughout the district.
Rajbari Superintendent of Police Mohammad Manzur Morshed said that a minor dispute occurred around noon in Goalanda between two polling agents, which was quickly resolved after an executive officer intervened. Otherwise, the entire election process in the district remained calm and incident-free.
Voters expressed their enthusiasm as they cast their ballots. Khairul Islam, a banker, said, "This is my first vote in life, and it feels amazing-like celebrating Eid. Words cannot fully describe the joy." Dr. Abdul Quddus, who also voted, reflected on the sacrifices made to secure voting rights, recalling mothers, brothers, sisters, and even children who lost their lives in the struggle, saying, "It is with that memory in my heart that I came to exercise my vote today."
At polling centres, voters began lining up even before dawn. Some held voter slips tightly in hand, while others displayed a determined expression. Dr. Hafizur Rahman, a college principal, said he came to vote immediately, skipping breakfast, fully focused on exercising his franchise.
Throughout the day, polling centres were peaceful and orderly. Voters entered and exited the booths with ease, confident that law enforcement personnel were maintaining security. Many expressed that "this vote is not just a ballot-it represents decades of struggle." The atmosphere reflected a deep commitment to democracy, showing that public resolve to return to a democratic path has become a reality, not just hope.
NAOGAON: Voting for election and referendum in Naogaon took place on Thursday in a largely peaceful and festive atmosphere, despite a few isolated incidents. Observers visiting several polling centres across the district saw voters arriving voluntarily and casting their ballots in an orderly manner.
Polling ran uninterrupted nationwide from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. In Naogaon-5 (Naogaon Sadar), Naogaon-4 (Manda), Naogaon-3 (Mohadebpur and Badalgachhi), and Naogaon-1 (Niamatpur, Porsha, and Sapahar), most centres experienced heavy voter turnout in the morning, with long queues outside polling booths. Attendance dipped slightly around midday but rose again before the close of polling, with some voters arriving even after the official hours.
According to the Returning Officer's office, the average turnout across the six constituencies reached 62.8 percent by 3:30 pm. The highest turnout was recorded in Naogaon-2 (Patnitola and Dhamoirhat) at 69 percent, followed by Naogaon-1 at 68 percent. Naogaon-3 saw 61 percent, Naogaon-5 recorded 59 percent, Naogaon-6 (Raninagar and Atrai) 65 percent, and Naogaon-4 55 percent.
While voting remained peaceful, only agents of BNP, Jamaat, and a few independent candidates were present in many centres. In Naogaon-3, which had the highest number of candidates (eight), visits to ten polling centres revealed that only BNP, Jamaat, and independent agents were on duty. Similar patterns were observed in Naogaon-1, where only three of six candidates deployed agents.
The election process faced minor procedural controversies. At Khatkhair High School in Naogaon-5, the presiding officer, Nazim Uddin, was withdrawn after he pre-signed result sheets before counting began, in violation of election rules. Nazim admitted signing the sheets for convenience but was unaware it breached regulations. He was replaced by an assistant presiding officer.
Another presiding officer, Abdul Kader, at Bamin High School in Niamatpur, also pre-signed result sheets, which he admitted was against protocol. The Assistant Returning Officer, Murshida Khatun, said she could not take action directly but advised filing complaints with the Electoral Inquiry Committee.
SIRAJGANJ: Voting in Sirajganj District began at 7:30am on Thursday along with the rest of the country in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and continued uninterrupted until 4:30pm.
To ensure smooth, peaceful and credible polling, the district administration and law enforcement agencies made extensive preparations.
A total of 16,000 law enforcement personnel were deployed, including 38 executive magistrates, 1,374 army personnel, 96 members of RAB, 360 BGB members, 2,093 police personnel, 12,000 Ansar members and 152 battalion Ansar members. At least 300 body-worn cameras were also used by police officers.
A total of 39 candidates from various registered political parties, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), Jatiya Party, Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOB), Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), Nagorik Oikyo, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD), Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), JSD, and several independent candidates, contested the elections across six parliamentary constituencies in Sirajganj. Despite the presence of multiple parties, local observers expected the main contest to be between BNP and Jamaat candidates.
The total number of voters in the six constituencies stood at 2,686,858, including 1,335,317 women voters. In addition, 21,178 expatriate voters from the district registered through the Postal Vote BD app to cast their ballots via postal voting in the parliamentary election and referendum.
