The much-anticipated 13th parliamentary election and referendum began across Bangladesh, with voting taking place in Dhaka-4 constituency on Thursday morning. Ninety-seven-year-old Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique cast his vote at 8 a.m. at Donia A.K. High School’s 100th polling center. He expressed satisfaction with the improved voting system and peaceful environment. Presiding officer Md. Shah Alam reported that the center has 2,222 registered male voters and that voting was proceeding smoothly with moderate turnout expected to rise later in the day.

Dhaka-4 constituency, comprising Kadamtali and Shyampur under Dhaka South City Corporation, includes nine wards—47, 51, 52, 53, 54, 58, 59, 60, and 61. The area has 115 polling centers and a total of 362,506 voters, an increase of 107,929 from the previous 12th national election. Among them are 186,467 men, 176,034 women, and five third-gender voters.

Eight candidates are contesting in the constituency, including Tanvir Ahmed Robin from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Syed Zainul Abedin from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.