The culture of rigged elections in Bangladesh has been stopped forever and voting is currently underway in a very transparent process, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin.
He said this to reporters after exercising his franchise at the Eskaton Garden High School Center in the capital on Thursday (February 12) morning.
The CEC mentioned that the Election Commission is not working on anyone's behalf and the country is now riding the 'train of democracy' which, God willing, will reach its destination. He feels proud to have made this big contribution to the nation and expressed strong hope that public trust in the EC will be re-established through this election.
Regarding the overall situation of the ongoing 13th National Parliament elections and referendum across the country, the CEC said that people are voting in a festive atmosphere everywhere, including in rural areas. EC officials have spent sleepless nights preparing for the elections.
Stating that election officials have been strictly instructed to remain impartial, he said, "If anyone neglects their duties or shows bias, they will have to be held accountable on the Day of Judgment." Citing reports from the field, he said that although two or three minor incidents occurred outside the centers, immediate action was taken and no major disturbances have been reported so far.
According to the Election Commission, voting began in 299 parliamentary constituencies from 7:30 am today and will continue uninterruptedly until 4:30 pm. A total of 127,711,893 voters are getting the opportunity to exercise their voting rights in this election.
Of these, 64,825,361 are male voters and 62,885,200 are female voters. In addition, there are 1,232 third-gender or transgender voters. This huge campaign is being conducted in 247,482 polling booths in a total of 42,779 polling stations. A total of 2,028 candidates, including 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties and 273 independents, are contesting the election, out of which 83 are women candidates.
It is worth noting that the election for Sherpur-3 constituency has been canceled by the EC due to the death of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate, as a result of which voting is being held simultaneously in a total of 299 constituencies in the country today. For the first time, voters are participating in the referendum on the 'July Charter' or fundamental changes to the constitution along with parliamentary candidates.
CEC AMM Nasir Uddin called on the countrymen to come to the polls without fear and said that this election will be a milestone in the democratic history of the country. He also reiterated that the EC will remain on alert until the last moment to ensure the safety of the voters and deliver a fair result.
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