Voting concludes for Bangladesh's parliamentary elections amid isolated incidents of violence

New Delhi, Jan 7: The 12th parliamentary elections in Bangladesh wrapped up at 4:00 pm on Sunday, with vote counting currently underway at over 42,000 polling stations.

Official results are anticipated to be announced on Monday at 10 am Bangladesh time, according to local news agencies.

The voting spanned across 299 constituencies, starting at 8:00 am and continuing without interruption until 4:00 pm. Despite some reports of low voter turnout and isolated incidents of irregularities or violence, the day progressed relatively smoothly.

Local media highlighted that 14 polling centres and two schools in ten districts of Bangladesh were set ablaze between Friday evening and early Saturday hours before the general elections, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune. Several individuals were arrested in connection with the incidents, and while there were no casualties reported.

The polls experienced sporadic incidents of violence, clashes, and allegations of rigging. Awami League leader Zillur Rahman was found dead near a polling centre in Munshiganj, adding a sombre note to the electoral process. A clash broke out between opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) members and police in Chattogram city's Chandgaon area.

In Hazaribagh near Dhaka, unidentified individuals detonated two crude bombs near a polling centre, injuring four people, including a child. Voting at Narsingdi-4 (Monohardi-Belabo) was cancelled due to allegations of ballot stuffing.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League seeks to maintain its hold over Dhaka's corridors of power for a fourth consecutive term. The current elections are drawing global attention due to allegations against Hasina's administration, accusing it of attempting to transition the country's multiparty democracy into a single-party system.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the principal opposition party led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has boycotted the elections for the third consecutive time, citing concerns over the absence of a 'caretaker government' and alleging the targeting of its leaders with false criminal cases.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan expressed confidence in Sheikh Hasina's leadership, anticipating a continuation of a 'brotherly relation' with New Delhi upon her potential return to power. The armed forces will be deployed across the country until January 10 to assist the local civil administration in ensuring a free, fair, and peaceful election process.