Voting rate exceeds 47 percent in Bangladesh elections, will run government with like-minded parties: Tariq Rahman

Voter turnout in Bangladesh's ongoing national elections stood at 47.91 percent by 2 pm. The figures were released based on information received from 36,031 polling centers across the country, said Senior Secretary of the Election Commission (EC) Akhtar Ahmed on Thursday.

An EC official said the commission initially faced difficulties in collecting information directly from presiding officers as they were busy managing the crowd of voters at polling stations.

"They were handling the crowd, so we faced difficulties. That's why we changed the procedure. Now we are collecting information from assistant returning officers," the official added, saying another update would be provided later.

The election commissioner said there were some "isolated incidents," mostly related to law and order outside polling centers, but voting continued according to plan after immediate intervention from local administration.

He confirmed that voting continued uninterrupted in Mymensingh-1 despite the death of an assistant presiding officer in the morning.

"An alternative officer was provided, so voting continued smoothly," he said.

Regarding reports of violence on election day, the EC said there were no fatalities. Two people were injured in a clash in Meherpur after voting.

"They were given primary medical aid and went back home. There are no reports of any casualties," he said.

The Election Commission clarified that the turnout figures include both parliamentary elections and the referendum.

When asked if the commission was satisfied with the turnout, the election commissioner said, "You (media) decide. Obviously, we want more turnout. You decide whether we should be satisfied or not."

Meanwhile, BNP Chairman Tariq Rahman said his party would accept the results if the elections were held in a free, fair, and controversy-free manner.

Speaking to journalists at the party chairman's office in Gulshan, he said, "If the elections are free, if they are fair, if they are controversy-free, why won't we accept them? Of course, we will accept them. All parties will accept them."

Referring to reports of irregularities, Tariq Rahman said some "undesirable incidents" and attempts to mislead voters were seen.

He said, "When people are voting quickly across the country, they also want the results quickly."

He expressed hope that the Election Commission would ensure timely announcement of results.

BNP Chairman Tariq Rahman said his party wants to run the country with all parties that participated in the movement with them.

After visiting several polling centers in the capital, he told reporters in front of the BNP's Gulshan office, "We want to run the country with those who have been with us in the movement."

He expressed confidence that his party would win the historic elections.

When asked how many seats he expected to win, Tariq Rahman replied, "We are hopeful that we will win enough constituencies to govern the country properly."

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman directed party activists to monitor polling stations until the results are announced, saying, "Be alert and stand firm."

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman alleged that attempts to cast fake votes were made in different parts of the country.

He appealed to the public to monitor their respective polling stations until the results are announced to protect their right to vote.

The Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer said, "My dear fellow countrymen, today is the day of your victory. Today is the day of your freedom. There may be people who will try to snatch away what is your right, what you are entitled to."

Dr. Shafiqur Rahman added, "Do not let them do so. This is the injustice we have been fighting against for the past 17 years, so we must not let them open this chapter again or let its ugly face rise again."

Referring to the elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001, he said the results of those elections were announced on time and expressed hope that this time too, the results would be announced promptly.

Earlier, Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff General Vuqar Zaman expressed his enthusiasm for the long-awaited voting, saying he had been eagerly waiting for this day for the past one and a half years and was hoping for a fair election, while Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus termed the elections a moment of national joy and renewal.

After casting his vote at the Adamjee Cantonment College polling station, the army chief said, "Today, the elections are underway. A favorable atmosphere has been established for voting. I have received information from across the country, and according to my reports, voting is taking place peacefully everywhere."

He added, "I appeal to all voters to go to the polling centers and exercise their right to vote without fear. Today is a very important day for us."

He also expressed his commitment to ensuring fair elections.

The army chief also praised the role of the media, saying that although they themselves could not vote, they were playing an important role by keeping the public informed and encouraging citizens to cast their votes.

Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, after casting his vote in the morning, talked to journalists and praised the elections, saying, "This is a day of great joy. Today is the birthday of a new Bangladesh. We will celebrate this birthday throughout the day," and appealed to citizens to participate in the referendum without fear.

He said, "From today, we have the opportunity to build a new Bangladesh at every step. Voting for a candidate is important, but the referendum is more important. The whole of Bangladesh will change."

It is worth noting that voting in Bangladesh's general elections has been completed, with 50 political parties participating and over 12.7 million voters.

Voting in 299 constituencies across the country started at 7:30 am local time and continued until 4:30 pm.

Candidates from parties including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party, and Jatiya Party are competing for 300 parliamentary seats, with a majority of 151 seats required to form a government.