Voting for the 13th National Assembly elections ended in a festive atmosphere

Voting in the 13th National Parliamentary Election concluded in a festive atmosphere across the country. The polls began at 7:30 am on Thursday and ended at 4:30 pm. Officials concerned stated that the voting process was completed peacefully.

Like the rest of the country, voters in the capital Dhaka cast their ballots for their preferred candidates. Although voter turnout was comparatively low in the morning, the number of voters increased significantly as the day progressed. Long queues of men and women of all ages were seen at many polling centers in the afternoon.

Even before dawn, crowds began gathering in front of polling stations in different parts of the country. As the morning advanced, those crowds turned into long lines. The presence of women, men, youths, and elderly voters created a festive atmosphere at many centers.

In the capital as well as in divisional and district towns, spontaneous participation by voters was noticeable. Some arrived with family members, while others came with neighbors. Many voters expressed satisfaction at being able to exercise their right to vote.

In this much-anticipated election, a total of 50 political parties participated, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), and Islami Andolan Bangladesh. The total number of contesting candidates was 2,028, of whom 1,755 were nominated by political parties and 273 were independent candidates.