The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday released the draft list of 42,618 polling stations for the 13th parliamentary election, an increase of 468 compared to the 2024 national election.
“A total of 42,618 polling stations were fixed, considering one station for an average of 300 voters,” EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said while disclosing the draft list to reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka.
The list will be finalized on October 20 for the upcoming general election, scheduled to be held in early February 2026.
According to the latest updated electoral rolls, the country now has 126,161,201 registered voters—63,928,809 males, 62,306,177 females, and 1,185 transgender voters.
The draft list includes 244,046 polling booths under the 42,618 polling stations. Of these, 114,939 booths are for male voters, with one booth per 600 voters, and 129,107 booths are for female voters, with one booth per 500 voters.
The EC said it will receive claims and complaints regarding the draft list until September 25, which will be addressed by October 12 prior to finalization.
In the 12th parliamentary election held on January 7, 2024, the number of polling stations was 42,150.
On September 8, the EC informed the Ministry of Home Affairs that it has no role in the installation of CCTV cameras or body-worn cameras in polling stations for the 13th national election. The clarification was made in a letter signed by EC Secretariat Deputy Secretary Rashedul Islam, sent to the ministry’s senior secretary in response to a query on the issue.
