Bangladesh is holding its parliamentary elections today, with polling set to begin shortly. Alongside the elections, the country is also conducting a referendum on the 84-point constitutional amendment package.
The main contest is between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami. The Awami League, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is not participating in this election, following a ban imposed by the interim government led by Mohammed Yunus last year.
Voting is taking place in 299 out of 300 parliamentary constituencies, as elections in one constituency were cancelled due to the death of a candidate. The polling will continue until 4:30 PM local time.
The BNP has fielded 291 candidates, including 83 women, and a total of 12.77 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots. Bangladesh’s parliament has 350 seats, with 300 directly elected and the remaining 50 reserved for women. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, currently leads the BNP.
These elections mark a significant moment for Bangladesh’s political landscape, with both the parliamentary polls and constitutional referendum likely to shape the country’s governance for years to come.
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