Bangladesh's 13th national parliamentary election saw women emerge as a powerful force at the ballot boxes, highlighting their growing influence in the country's political landscape.
Out of over 12.70 crore registered voters, 6.28 crore were women, reflecting a significant share of the electorate.
Across the nation, polling centres were abuzz with activity from dawn, as long queues of female voters formed well before polls officially opened at 7:30 am. Districts such as Noakhali, Cox's Bazar, and Bagerhat witnessed particularly high female turnout, creating a lively and festive atmosphere at voting centres.
NOAKHALI: Voting in Noakhali's six parliamentary constituencies proceeded on Thursday in a festive atmosphere during the elections, with a notable turnout of women voters at many polling centres across the district.
By 7:30 am, large numbers of women were already present at Sirajpur High School polling centre in Companiganj Upazila to cast their votes. Similarly, at Kabirhat Government College polling centre, a substantial number of women voters were seen lining up early in the day.
District administration sources said that out of a total of 875 polling centres in the six constituencies, 261 were identified as sensitive by law enforcement. All polling centres were under CCTV surveillance, and additional security personnel were deployed at the sensitive centres to ensure maximum safety.
In Noakhali-1, there are 141 polling centres, including 88 general and 53 highly sensitive centres. Noakhali-2 has 111 centres, with 73 general and 38 highly sensitive. Noakhali-3 has the highest number of centres at 166, including 106 general and 60 highly sensitive. Noakhali-4 has 198 centres (156 general and 42 highly sensitive), Noakhali-5 has 155 centres (104 general and 51 highly sensitive), and Noakhali-6 has the fewest, with 104 centres (87 general and 17 highly sensitive).
A total of 48 candidates from several parties, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, Islami Andolan, Jatiya Party, and JSD, were contesting across the six constituencies.
Noakhali Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Muhammad Shafiqul Islam said, voting was taking place in a festive and peaceful environment. He added that no untoward incidents were reported at any polling centres, though minor tension had occurred in Hatiya the previous night without affecting any centres.
COX'S BAZAR: A noticeable turnout of female voters was recorded across different upazilas of Cox's Bazar District from the very beginning of polling on Thursday.
Since morning, groups of women voters were seen arriving at their respective polling centres, standing in queues and casting their ballots enthusiastically.
During visits to several centres, this correspondent observed that as the day progressed, female voter turnout surpassed that of male voters at many locations. Many women arrived at polling stations well ahead of time and exercised their franchise in a peaceful and festive atmosphere.
Nasrin Jahan, a voter from Baktabya Sadar Upazila, said, she had arrived at 8 am and cast her vote for her preferred candidate. "I felt really good as there was no disturbance and everything went smoothly," she said.
Saleha Akter, a voter from Shamlapur in Teknaf, said the voting environment this time seemed more free and fair compared to previous elections. "It feels reassuring to vote in such a calm and peaceful atmosphere," she added.
Another voter, Foyez Ullah, said male voters were arriving gradually, while women had started coming earlier. "The strong presence of women voters has created a festive atmosphere at the centres," he said.
Several women voters said they were able to cast their votes with a sense of security due to the visible presence of law enforcement personnel at polling centres.
Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Presiding Officer of North Shilkhali Government Primary School polling centre in Teknaf, said voting was continuing peacefully without any untoward incidents. "Compared to men, the turnout of women voters has been significantly higher. By 11 am, around 33 per cent of votes had been cast at 110 centres," he added.
Cox's Bazar District has four parliamentary constituencies - Cox's Bazar-1 (Chakaria-Pekua), Cox's Bazar-2 (Maheshkhali-Kutubdia), Cox's Bazar-3 (Sadar-Ramu-Eidgaon) and Cox's Bazar-4 (Ukhiya-Teknaf). Political analysts predicted intense competition between candidates of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in these seats.
A total of 587 polling centres were set up across the district, where 1,829,142 voters were registered to cast their ballots. Of them, 966,028 were male, 863,108 female, and six were third-gender voters.
District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Md A Mannan said adequate law enforcement personnel had been deployed at every polling centre to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election. "All necessary administrative measures have been taken to complete voting smoothly," he added.
FAKIRHAT, BAGERHAT: Women voters noticeably outnumbered men at polling centres in Fakirhat Upazila of Bagerhat for the election on Thursday.
At centres including Burir Bottola Government Primary School, Shirin Haque Girls' High School, Mulghar Government High School, and Khodeja Khatun Girls' School, women were seen arriving in groups or carrying children to cast their votes. Law enforcement personnel were deployed across the upazila as part of election security arrangements. Voting was scheduled to continue until 4:30 pm. No untoward incidents were reported, and many voters said they were able to cast their votes peacefully. By 11 am, an average of 25 per cent of votes had been cast across various centres.
Fakirhat Upazila has 52 polling centres with 260 booths, including 11 highly sensitive, 23 sensitive, and 18 general centres, according to the administration. The upazila has a total of 129,097 registered voters, including 63,710 men and 65,387 women. Postal voting is available to 964 registered expatriate voters.
Eight candidates were contesting in the constituency, including nominees from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party, Amar Bangladesh Party, Bangladesh Muslim League, and two independents. Assistant Returning Officer Sumana Airin confirmed that voting was held peacefully.
