Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has called on citizens to overcome fear and hesitation and cast their votes for honest, qualified, and patriotic candidates. He made the appeal on Thursday morning through a post on his verified Facebook account, encouraging voters to participate in the election in a festive atmosphere and to protect their sacred trust through responsible voting.

The appeal came as Bangladesh began its much-anticipated 13th National Parliamentary Election and a concurrent referendum on state reforms. Voting is taking place from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. across 299 constituencies at 42,958 polling centers, with the Sherpur-3 seat postponed due to the death of a Jamaat candidate. The election is expected to establish a democratically elected government, marking a significant step toward democratic transition.

According to the report, citizens are voting freely for the first time in about one and a half decades, choosing the country's leadership for the next five years. The process also includes a referendum on proposed state reforms.