Dhaka election 2026 highlights: Voting ends for Bangladesh general elections amid long queues, tight security

Dhaka election 2026 highlights: BNP’s Tarique Rahman in fray in Dhaka-17, to take on Jamaat-e-Islami candidate SM Khaliduzzaman

Dhaka election 2026 highlights: Polling in Bangladesh general elections concluded at 4:30 pm, local time, and counting began immediately, with early trends expected around midnight and results likely to be clear by Friday morning. Election Commission officials said. Voter turnout of 47.91% was recorded at 2pm, Daily Star reported, citing poll body officials. Over 32 per cent of the electorate voted till noon in the crucial parliamentary elections.

Despite isolated incidents in different parts of the country, voting was largely peacefull, Bangladesh Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said at a briefing.

While the polling was largely violence-free, a crude bomb blast was reported from Munshiganj and Gopalganj areas, injuring three people. The explosion occurred at the Makhati Gurucharan High School polling station in Mollakandi Union of Sadar upazila, drawing rapid response from law enforcement.

As the country voted on Thursday, February 12, nowhere is the battle more closely watched than in the capital Dhaka, which accounts for 20 constituencies. Among them, Dhaka-17 has drawn particular interest as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman – son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia – contests after returning from 17 years in self-exile.

Rahman, who came back to Bangladesh in December, is facing Jamaat-e-Islami candidate SM Khaliduzzaman in Dhaka-17. The constituency has 333,777 voters, with 174,709 male, 159,060 female, making it one of the key urban battlegrounds in the capital.

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Of the total 1,981 candidates in fray across Bangladesh, only 78 are women, with 17 of them contested from Dhaka. However, in the the absence of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, the overall contest is largely seen as a face-off between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

More than 127 million eligible voters, including nearly 5 million first-time voters, cast their votes to decide the future of a nation of 170 million people. The polling was conducted across 299 of the 300 parliamentary seats, with one deferred due to a candidate’s death.

High-security blanket in Dhaka

Given Dhaka’s political weight, security arrangements in the capital were extensive. Police said they had submitted a list of risk-prone polling centres to the Election Commission (EC), identifying 1,614 of Dhaka’s 2,131 polling centres as vulnerable. The army, however, said it had identified two centres in Dhaka city as “risky,” a report in PTI news agency said.

Nearly 90 per cent of polling centres in the capital were under CCTV surveillance, according to a Dhaka Tribune report citing authorities.

Nationwide, the EC deployed nearly one million security personnel, the largest mobilisation in the country’s electoral history. Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam outlined a three-layered security arrangement comprising static forces at polling stations, mobile patrols and rapid-response teams.

He said 1,57,805 police personnel will be engaged in primary election security duties, supported by 29,798 additional officers, bringing the total police deployment to 1,87,603.

First election without Sheikh Hasina

This is the first general election in decades without Hasina, who resigned following the 2024 student-led uprising and now lives in exile in India.

The 13th Parliamentary elections are being held alongside a national referendum on an 84-point reform package, including proposals for term limits for the prime minister and stronger institutional checks on executive power.

‘Birthday of new Bangladesh’

The election comes 18 months after the mass protests that ended Awami League dominance and propelled Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus into a leadership role. In a televised address, Chief Adviser Yunus urged citizens to treat election day as the “birthday of a new Bangladesh,” saying their participation would determine the country’s direction, reported AP.

Alongside choosing lawmakers, voters will weigh in on a reform blueprint proposing constitutional and institutional safeguards against power concentration, called the July National Charter.

For the first time, Bangladeshi citizens living abroad are also able to vote through a postal ballot system, widening participation among the country’s large expatriate population.

Counting of votes will start soon after the polling concludes, results are expected to be announced on Friday, February 13.

Dhaka’s high-stakes election battle: 10 points

1. Polling began at 7:30 am and continued until 4:30 pm without interruption. Authorities say logistical preparations are complete, with ballot papers distributed under tight security cover. The capital is a major battleground with 20 constituencies and 2,131 polling centres.

2. Police identified 1,614 of these as risk-prone and shared the list with the Election Commission, while the army said it identified two centres in Dhaka city as “risky.”

3. According to a Dhaka Tribune report citing authorities, close to 90 per cent of polling centres in the capital are under CCTV surveillance to deter violence and malpractice.

4. BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, son of late former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is contesting from Dhaka-17 after returning from 17 years in self-exile. He faces Jamaat-e-Islami candidate SM Khaliduzzaman in one of the most closely watched contests in the capital.

5. The Dhaka constituency has 333,777 voters, including 174,709 men, 159,060 women and eight hijra voters, reflecting the diverse urban electorate in the capital.

6. Nationwide, 1,981 candidates are in the fray (1,755 from 50 registered parties and 273 independents). Only 78 are women overall. Of them, 17 are contesting from Dhaka.

7. This is the first parliamentary election since the July 2024 student-led uprising that led to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster and exile in India.

8. Hasina’s Awami League has been disbanded, making this a direct contest largely between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami and its 11-party alliance.

9. More than 127 million eligible voters, including nearly 5 million first-time voters, are casting ballots across 299 seats. For the first time, expatriates can vote by postal ballot.

10. Around 500 foreign observers are present; ANI reported that 394 international observers and 197 foreign journalists have arrived to monitor the Bangladesh’s 13th general election.