'A day of liberation,' says CA Yunus as polling peaceful so far
CEC AMM Nasir Uddin says people are voting in a festive, 'Eid-like atmosphere.'
Voters gathered outside polling centres from early morning, with queues forming nearly an hour before voting in some areas, as the nation began voting today (12 February) in a historic double-ballot exercise to elect a new government and decide on sweeping constitutional reforms. The process started and continued peacefully, with no major complaints or disruptions reported as of 10am.
Polling for the 13th national election and the referendum on the July Charter commenced at 7:30am and is scheduled to continue until 4:30pm across the country.
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11:08am
At Kishori Lal Jubilee School and College in Dhaka-6, Presiding Officer Shakhawat Hossen Khan said voter turnout is increasing at the centre as the day progresse.
Out of 2,235 registered voters, 340 had cast their votes, marking a 15% turnout by 10:45am, he added.
11:01am
At the Udayan Higher Secondary School polling centre on the Dhaka University campus, 11% of voters had cast their ballots by 10am.
The centre's presiding officer, Partha Protima Bhaumik, told The Business Standard that the voters at this centre are mainly former students of Dhaka University. As of 10am, 214 out of 1,952 registered voters had cast their votes.
"So far there have been no issues, and the voting is proceeding smoothly," he added.
10:56am
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus cast his vote at the Gulshan Model School and College polling centre in Dhaka at 10:25am.
Speaking to journalists after casting his vote, he said this election day marks "a day of liberation and a day of great joy for the nation," urging all citizens to take part in the festive polls.
10:53am
Uttara High School and College has eight polling centres. The presiding officer of centre No 8, Md Saiful Islam, told The Business Standard that the centre has a total of 2,852 voters. By 10:30am, about 15% of voters had cast their votes, he said, adding, "Voter turnout was higher in the morning." It would likely increase as the day progresses, Saiful said.
The presiding officer of centre No 9 reported 2,575 voters, with nearly 13% having voted so far.
Another centre's presiding officer, Md Sadekuzzaman, said that out of 2,350 total voters, around 320 had voted so far, which is about 14%. He also noted that voter turnout was higher in the morning.
9:58am
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman voted at the Gulshan Model High School and College after 9:30am.
Speaking to the media afterwards, he said his party is "100% optimistic" about winning. Mentioning a few "unwanted incidents" the previous night, Tarique said law enforcement had brought the situation under control.
He also urged voters to cast their ballots and thwart any conspiracy to disrupt the electoral process.
9:48am
After casting his vote at the Eskaton Garden High School centre in Dhaka, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said Bangladesh is holding the world's largest vote in 2026, adding that the election is taking place in a free, fair and peaceful environment.
He told reporters that people are voting in a festive, "Eid-like atmosphere."
Acknowledging minor disruptions outside a few centres, the CEC called them isolated incidents.
8:34am
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman cast his vote at Monipur Uchcha Vidyalaya and College at around 8:30am.
Afterwards, he told journalists that if the election is conducted fairly, his party is willing to accept the results, whatever they are. Shafiqur said that at the same time, others must also accept the outcome.
7:30am
Voters were seen waiting in line at several polling centres with members of law enforcement keeping the security tight.
Minhaj, a 46-year-old rickshaw puller from Savar's Jamgara area, told The Business Standard that he plans to cast his vote in the afternoon, choosing to work in the capital through the morning to secure his day's earnings first.
Beyond the political stakes for major leaders such as BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, today's proceedings represent a defining moment for the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
The interim administration has campaigned extensively for a "Yes or No" vote in the referendum to implement the July Charter, a reform blueprint containing 48 specific constitutional proposals.
A "Yes" victory would legally obligate the incoming parliament to carry out these reforms.
Under the provisions of the July Charter implementation order, the next parliament will also function as a constituent council to approve the reform package.
