Voting is underway in Chattogram on Thursday as the country goes to the polls in a much-anticipated election following a significant political transition.
Balloting began at 7:30am and will continue until 4:30pm without any break across the port city.
Chattogram’s Senior District Election Officer Mohammad Bashir Ahmed said, “Voting started in an orderly manner, and so far no major incidents have been reported. To ensure a free and fair election, law enforcement agencies and the administration have put in place comprehensive security measures across the port city and the district.”
A spontaneous presence of voters was noticed after visiting several polling centres in the city. Defying the winter chill, residents were seen standing in queues and casting their ballots in an orderly manner.
Law enforcement personnel were visibly stationed at centres from early morning. Polling officials were also seen giving priority entry to elderly and female voters.
Officials concerned said the turnout, particularly the enthusiasm among young voters, was a positive sign for democracy. They expressed hope that the number of voters would increase as the day progresses.
According to the Election Commission, a total of 115 candidates are contesting in 16 parliamentary constituencies in Chattogram. The district has 6,682,517 registered voters, including 3,483,887 men and 3,198,560 women. There are also 70 registered voters from the transgender community.
Voting is taking place at 1,965 centres across the district, with 12,601 polling booths. More than 600 centres have been identified by police as “important”, or vulnerable, requiring special attention.
To maintain law and order, a modern technology-based Operations Command and Control Room has been set up at the office of the Superintendent of Police. From there, authorities are identifying risk-prone centres and tracking the live locations of mobile and striking teams.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah earlier said the district had been placed under a comprehensive security blanket for the election. More than 40,000 members of law enforcement agencies have been deployed in the field, alongside 112 executive magistrates.
He added that each polling centre has been brought under the coverage of a striking force, with plans in place to ensure that personnel can reach any centre within five minutes in the event of an untoward incident.
In the 12th National Parliamentary Election held on 7 January 2024, the total number of voters in Chattogram was 6,314,317.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
