News Desk, Bangladesh Global: The voting for the 13th National Parliament Elections and July Charter referendum has concluded peacefully at 4:30 pm today. Earlier, voting began at 7:30 am across 42,779 polling centres in 299 constituencies nationwide.
A total of 127,711,793 voters were registered to cast their ballots and Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said around 48 percent voter turnout was recorded till 2 pm nationwide. Top leaders of different political parties and interim administration cast their votes at their respective polling centers this morning.
Witnesses said a tight security vigil was enforced in polling centres in the capital and elsewhere in 299 of the 300 constituencies in the country as the EC canceled voting in Sherpur-3 seat following the death of a candidate. EC official sources said nearly a million law enforcement personnel were deployed to enforce tight security and maintain order during the voting and thereafter while 2,098 executive and 657 judicial magistrates were appointed to perform election duties.
According to the EC, some 800,000 officials, apart from those involved in security and law and order, were on election duties. They include 69 returning officers, 598 assistant returning officers, 42,779 presiding officers, 247,482 assistant presiding officers and 4,95,964 polling officers. Besides, About 15,000 officials are engaged in postal voting duties.
Some 55,454 observers from 81 local organizations have monitored the elections while the number of foreign poll monitors was 394, including more than 200 observers deployed by the EU Election Observation Mission. Nearly 200 foreign journalists also arrived in Bangladesh to observe the elections and the referendum.
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