Reports from 14 Dhaka polls centres: Vote cast between 3% to 15% yet
Initial reports by correspondents of The Business Standard, corroborated with election officials, from several Dhaka constituencies, showed a voter turnout ranging from 3% to 13% within the first two hours.
The nation began a journey toward democratic restoration today (12 February) as millions headed to the polls for the 13th national election and a referendum on constitutional reforms.
Polling commenced at 7:30am across the country, marking the first general election since the fall of the Awami League administration on 5 August 2024.
Initial reports by correspondents of The Business Standard, corroborated with election officials, from several Dhaka constituencies, showed a voter turnout ranging from 3% to 13% within the first two hours.
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According to presiding officers, the highest early turnout was recorded at Holy Crescent International School and College in Dhaka-9, where 13% of the 3,212 registered voters cast their ballots by 9:30am.
At Kamrunnesa Government Girls' High School in Tikatuli, Dhaka-6 constituency, there were a total of 3,337 voters in the centre, of whom 348 voted. That is, 10.42% of the total voters voted.
Independent candidate Dr Tasnim Jara and BNP's Habibur Rashid Habib are contesting the Dhaka-9 constituency.
In contrast, the Physical Education College in Dhaka-13 saw a slower start with a 3.39% turnout, confirmed Badal Mitra, the presiding officer of this centre.
Limon Roy, presiding officer of Kalshi Islamia High School in Dhaka-16 constituency, told TBS that out of a total of 2,483 voters in this centre, 5.35% voted in two hours.
At Dhaka University's University Laboratory School and College, which houses multiple polling centres, the atmosphere remained orderly. One centre, catering to female voters, recorded a 7% turnout, while another primarily serving current and former students saw a higher engagement of 12.62%.
The presiding officer of the centre, Mohammad Helaluddin, told TBS that there are 2,565 voters in the centre, all of whom are women.
172 people voted in the first two hours. That is, 7% of the votes were cast in the first two hours.
At the Glory School and College centre in Dhaka-15 constituency, 170 out of 2,834 votes had been cast till 9:30am, which is 6% of the total voters.
In addition, TBS reports 9% of the votes had been cast at the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College centre in the Dhaka-8 constituency.
Meanwhile, voter presence at polling centres in the capital is beginning to swell as the morning progresses, with centres in Mirpur reporting a steady rise in participation.
At Mirpur Bangla School and College (Women's Centre No 66) under the Dhaka-16 constituency, a long queue of voters was seen at around 10:50am. Presiding Officer Mashiur Rahman attributed the wait to a "relatively good" turnout rather than any procedural delays.
"We are not delaying the process. Voters are standing in line simply because of the high volume of people coming in," Rahman said.
According to official data, 10.66% of the voters, 386 out of 3,512 registered, had cast their ballots by 10:10am.
Reshma Akhter, 41, who cast her vote at the centre, expressed satisfaction with the arrangement.
"There was no delay. I was able to cast my ballots for both the general election and the referendum properly," she told reporters.
A similar trend was observed at Kishori Lal Jubilee School and College in Dhaka-6, where, by 10:45am, 340 (15%) out of 2,235 registered voters had exercised their franchise.
Professor Shakhawat Hossen Khan, the presiding officer at the centre, noted that the number of people arriving at the booths has been increasing steadily since the early hours.
Turnout at Mohammadpur's Milestone College centre remained robust through the morning, with Centre 94 recording a 13% turnout (326 votes out of 2,392) by 10am, according to Presiding Officer Tariqul Islam.
At the adjacent Centre 95, some 400 out of 2,712 registered voters had exercised their right by 10:30am, maintaining a steady flow of participants at the facility.
Similar upward trends were observed in other parts of the capital, with the Sunrise International Free Cadet School female centre in Dhaka-7 recording a 15.50% turnout, as 574 out of 3,701 voters cast their ballots.
Meanwhile, in Dhaka-6, the Bipin Roy Boy's Government Primary School centre reported that 16% of its voters had cast their ballots by 11am.
Polling is scheduled to continue until 4:30 pm.
For many, today's vote is a moment of reclaiming a long-denied right.
