Voting materials, ballots being dispatched polling centers nationwide

Ballot papers and other election materials are being sent to polling centers across Bangladesh ahead of Wednesday’s 13th National Parliament election and accompanying referendum.

Returning officers began distributing the materials to presiding officers from their offices at 10:00am, the Election Commission (EC) said.

A total of 1,27,71,193 voters will be eligible to cast their ballots, including 64,82,361 men, 62,88,520 women, and 1,232 hijra voters. Voting will take place at 42,779 polling centers, of which 21,506 have been designated as high-risk.

The election will be managed by 7,85,225 officials, including 42,779 presiding officers, 2,47,482 assistant presiding officers, and 4,94,964 polling officers.

Returning officers include divisional commissioners from Dhaka and Chattogram, 64 district commissioners, and three regional election officers, supported by 598 assistant returning officers.

Polling will take place in 299 constituencies, with 50 of the 60 registered political parties participating. A total of 2,028 candidates are contesting the election, including 1,755 party-affiliated and 273 independent candidates. Among them, 83 are women (63 party-affiliated, 20 independent) and 1,946 are men (1,692 party-affiliated, 253 independent).

Voting in Sherpur-3 has been postponed following the death of a candidate; the EC will announce a new schedule for the constituency.