Voting began at 7:30am on Thursday, with polling observed to be largely peaceful across several centres in the capital. While long queues formed at some locations early in the day, others saw comparatively light turnout and empty booths.
At Segunbagicha High School and Begum Rahima High School centres, voters were seen standing in multiple lines since morning. The presence of male voters was more noticeable in the early hours, while the turnout of female voters was comparatively lower.
“We started voting at 7:30am. Voters are casting their ballots spontaneously. We have not received any complaints so far,” said Abdullah Al Mamun, presiding officer of the Segunbagicha High School centre.
A different picture emerged after 8am at two centres set up at Teachers Training College, where voters were able to cast their ballots without standing in long queues. With one booth allocated for every 400 voters, polling was proceeding without delays. Members of law enforcement agencies, including the army, were seen on duty at the college gate.
Presiding Officer Joynal Abedin said there were sufficient booths to ensure smooth voting and that voters would be able to cast their ballots without hassle.
At Dhaka College, voters were seen casting ballots smoothly at four centres around 9am, with no significant queues. Voters arrived and left without crowding.
Turnout was also reported to be good at Ayub Ali Government Primary School in Old Dhaka. At Ganakatuli Government Primary School, visited around 10am, voters were seen casting ballots in an orderly manner.
Polling agents of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami were present at all centres visited. They said voting was proceeding normally.
Assistant presiding officers said voters were allowed to cast ballots only after verification of their national identity cards and photographs, leaving no scope for impersonation.
While the first hour saw good turnout at Segunbagicha High School, presiding officers at Teachers Training College said turnout was initially low but increased as the morning progressed.
In densely populated areas such as Ganakatuli in Old Dhaka, relatively higher voter presence led to short waiting times in queues. However, polling was continuing in an orderly environment.
The parliamentary election and the referendum are being held simultaneously, with voters casting ballots on two separate ballot papers and placing them in the same ballot box. Election officials said this may require additional time during vote counting to separate the ballots.
Army personnel were seen deployed in front of several polling centres, with patrols also observed in different parts of the capital. Security measures were visibly strengthened, with law enforcement members stationed at key points.
CCTV cameras were installed at most centres, including at important points near booths, although some centres did not have cameras inside the booths. Election officials said the security arrangements and monitoring systems have increased voter confidence.
Overall, voting at the centres visited in the capital until 10:30am was observed to be peaceful and orderly, with voters participating in what many described as a festive atmosphere.