On February 12, 2026, voters across Bangladesh expressed excitement and relief as they cast ballots in what many described as a historic and peaceful election day. From early morning, long lines formed at polling centers such as Halim Foundation School in Dhaka-15, where citizens reported a calm atmosphere free from fear or intimidation. Many voters said they had not been able to vote freely in previous elections and viewed this day as a return of their democratic rights.

The report recalls that after the fall of military ruler Ershad in 1991, Bangladesh began its democratic journey, but under Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year rule, citizens’ voting rights were allegedly suppressed. A student-led uprising in July 2024 ended that period, costing 1,400 lives and paving the way for what some call the nation’s “second independence.” Voters interviewed described the current election as a moment of regained freedom and unity, with supporters of rival parties seen chatting amicably outside polling centers.

Participants emphasized the importance of maintaining this peaceful environment, expressing hope that the spirit of free and fair voting would continue in future elections.

An eleven-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded that the Election Commission suspend voting in several centers of Comilla-8, Shariatpur-2, and Patuakhali-1 constituencies, citing disorder during the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum. The delegation made the demand on Thursday afternoon during a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin at the Election Building in Agargaon. Voting began at 7:30 a.m. on the same day.

According to the Emergency Coordination Cell of the Ministry of Home Affairs, by 2:00 p.m. incidents of disorder had occurred in 486 centers across the country. Reports confirmed 59 cases of fake voting and three incidents of ballot box snatching. The alliance alleged that the irregularities in the three constituencies disrupted the electoral process and warranted immediate suspension of voting in the affected centers.

The Election Commission has not yet announced any decision regarding the alliance’s demand, and further updates are awaited.

Vote counting is underway in Bangladesh following the country’s first national election since student-led protests ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. More than 2,000 candidates contested parliamentary seats, but none represented Hasina’s now-banned Awami League. The election featured a contest between the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, which allied with a party formed from the student uprising. Results are expected on Friday.

Alongside the parliamentary vote, citizens participated in a referendum on constitutional reforms proposed by the interim government, which described the existing political system as completely broken. Nearly one million police and soldiers were deployed nationwide to ensure security during the polls.

Interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who cast his vote in Dhaka, said the country had ended a nightmare and begun a new dream. BNP’s Tarique Rahman and Jamaat’s Shafiqur Rahman also voted in the capital, marking a symbolic moment in Bangladesh’s post-uprising political transition.

Bangladesh’s long-awaited 13th National Parliamentary Election and a national referendum concluded on Thursday, February 12, 2026, with voting held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. across 42,958 polling centers in 299 constituencies. Except for a few isolated incidents, the process was largely peaceful. Vote counting was set to begin shortly after polls closed. The Sherpur-3 constituency’s election was postponed due to the death of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate. The election is expected to establish a new elected government, marking what officials described as a key step in the country’s democratic transition.

A total of 51 out of 59 registered political parties participated, with the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami emerging as the main contenders. The Awami League was barred from participation due to a government ban. The day also featured a referendum on constitutional reforms, where voters cast separate ballots for parliamentary and referendum votes. The Election Commission deployed 100,000 army personnel and 900,000 law enforcement officers to maintain order.

Authorities reported a festive mood nationwide, with many citizens traveling home to vote. Nearly 40 million young voters participated, and digital campaigning through social media platforms marked a new phase in Bangladesh’s electoral process.

An attempted attack was made on AB Party chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju, the Eagle symbol candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, during voting in the Feni-2 constituency. The incident occurred on Thursday at Sheikh Mujibul Haque High School center in Lemua Union, Feni Sadar Upazila. According to reports, a group of BNP activists led by Abdul Hannan and Shahid confronted Manju with abusive remarks and tried to assault him. Supporters of the Eagle symbol shielded Manju, and army personnel later brought the situation under control. One Eagle supporter named Talha was reportedly beaten during the clash.

In a separate incident near the Joar Kachar center in Dholmupur Union, Manju’s chief election agent, ANM Abdur Rahim, was attacked and injured, and his car was vandalized by BNP supporters allegedly led by local cadre Jamai Kamrul. Additional clashes were reported in several unions, including Elahiganj, Ghagra, and Farhadnagar, where multiple Eagle supporters and a local Jamaat leader were injured. Feni District Returning Officer Monira Haque said mobile teams were dispatched to all reported locations and confirmed that voting continued without disruption. She added that a regular case would be filed over the attack on Manju’s agent and vehicle damage.

Voting for Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election continued peacefully in Tongi, Gazipur, on Thursday. Polling began at 7:30 a.m. and by 1 p.m., around 30 percent of votes had been cast across several centers, according to presiding officers. Long queues of voters were observed at multiple institutions, including Khapara Bidyaniketan, Blossom International School and College, and Tongi Pilot School and Girls College.

Presiding Officer Md. Ziaul Haque of Haji Kachimuddin Public School reported that voting was proceeding smoothly, with about 30 percent turnout by early afternoon. Mohammad Ali, presiding officer at Mamdi Molla High School Center-1, said approximately 28 percent of votes had been cast by 1 p.m., expecting total turnout to reach 50 percent by day’s end. Tongi West Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shaheen Khan confirmed that no untoward incidents had been reported up to 3 p.m., and law and order remained normal.

The calm voting process in Tongi reflected a generally peaceful atmosphere, with officials anticipating steady participation through the remainder of the day.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman expressed concern over reports of fake voting, expulsion of polling agents, center takeovers, and harassment of women during the ongoing election process. In a Facebook post published at 3:51 p.m. on Thursday, he called on citizens to remain vigilant and act as protectors of their votes until the results are announced. He also urged law enforcement agencies to take swift action to maintain order and ensure fair polling.

Rahman praised voters for resisting attempts to seize polling centers and for participating enthusiastically in the election. However, he warned that efforts to manipulate the process were still ongoing in several areas. He appealed to the public to continue safeguarding their votes and to cooperate with law enforcement to prevent any further irregularities.

The Jamaat leader further requested the administration and security forces to intensify their efforts to curb any conspiracies involving ballot snatching or center occupation, emphasizing the need to protect the integrity of the people's mandate.

By 2 PM on Thursday, 47.91 percent of votes had been cast across 36,031 polling centers in Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election, according to Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed. He announced the figures during a briefing at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka. Ahmed said some allegations of violence and irregularities had been received and were being investigated, with action to follow if proven.

Earlier, by noon, 32.88 percent of votes had been recorded at 32,789 centers. The election involves 12.77 crore registered voters, including 6.29 crore women, 6.48 crore men, and 1,232 transgender voters. Voting is taking place in 299 constituencies, as polling in Sherpur-3 was postponed due to a candidate’s death. A total of 2,028 candidates are contesting, representing 50 political parties and independent groups.

Over 900,000 law enforcement personnel and 1,051 executive magistrates have been deployed nationwide to ensure security. The Election Commission is also using around 1,000 drones for monitoring. Voting will continue until 4:30 PM.

Presiding officers reported that by 1 p.m. on Thursday, 31.47 percent of registered voters had cast their ballots at seven polling centers located at Kamarpara School and College in Ward 54 of Dhaka North City Corporation, under the Dhaka-18 constituency. The total number of registered voters at this polling venue is 19,175.

Among the seven centers, voter turnout varied: 32 percent at center 210, 32.6 percent at 211, 28.64 percent at 212, 34 percent at 213, 29.25 percent at 214, 23.82 percent at 215, and 40 percent at 216. The information was confirmed to the newspaper by the presiding officers on Thursday afternoon.

Dhaka-18 constituency comprises Wards 1, 17, and 43 through 54 of Dhaka North City Corporation, with a total of 218 polling centers and 605,398 registered voters, including 306,654 men, 298,738 women, and six third-gender voters.

The Election Commission of Bangladesh has received 648,000 postal ballots as of Thursday, according to Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed. He shared the update with journalists at the Election Commission Secretariat. This marks the first time expatriate Bangladeshis have been allowed to cast their votes through postal ballots.

In addition to expatriates, prisoners in Bangladesh and government officials assigned to election duties were also given the opportunity to vote by post. A total of 1,533,684 voters, both domestic and overseas, registered through the 'Postal Vote BD' app to participate in the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum via postal ballots. Among them, 761,138 are expatriate Bangladeshis.

The Election Commission’s update highlights the growing use of digital registration and remote voting mechanisms in the country’s electoral process, with a significant portion of participation coming from overseas citizens.

Voting in Bangladesh’s ongoing 13th National Parliament election and referendum will continue until 4:30 PM on Thursday, February 12, 2026. Those present inside polling centers by that time will be allowed to cast their votes. The polling began at 7:30 AM the same day. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ emergency coordination cell, incidents of unrest were reported in 486 polling centers across the country by 2 PM.

The coordination cell confirmed that 59 cases of fake voting and three incidents of ballot box snatching occurred nationwide. Polling agents were expelled from 14 centers, while clashes between supporters of different candidates took place in 135 locations. Additionally, six candidates were assaulted, voting was obstructed in 18 places, and four incidents of arson were recorded. Negligence by election officials was reported in 33 cases.

The ministry’s data reflect widespread irregularities and violence during the voting process, raising concerns about the overall election environment as polling continues through the afternoon.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has alleged serious irregularities, including violence, polling center takeovers, obstruction of polling agents, ballot snatching, and explosions, during ongoing voting across Dhaka and several districts. At a press conference in Banglamotor on Thursday afternoon, NCP election committee member-secretary Monira Sharmin detailed incidents such as attacks on voters and journalists, forced removal of agents, and assaults in Noakhali’s Hatiya. She also cited reports of fake polling agents, pre-cast votes, and unauthorized ballot stamping in multiple constituencies.

Sharmin accused local officials and police of failing to act responsibly despite written complaints from candidates. She claimed attempts were being made to manipulate results through vote rigging and “electronic engineering.” The NCP warned that the public would not accept any party coming to power through such means. Sharmin further alleged that the BNP was covertly influencing voters to cast “No” votes while publicly campaigning for “Yes.”

She stated that the NCP was monitoring the situation closely and might boycott or reject the election if the alleged irregularities continued.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) spokesperson Mahdi Amin alleged that a rival political alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami had instigated several violent incidents across the country on the night before the election, fearing defeat. Speaking at a press briefing at the BNP’s central election management office on Thursday, he said the incidents were clear violations of electoral conduct and called on the Election Commission, law enforcement agencies, and the interim government to ensure a calm environment until results are announced.

Amin stated that the BNP’s anticipated victory had prompted these attempts at disruption but expressed confidence that they would fail, citing strong voter turnout nationwide. He noted that BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman had cast his vote with his family at Gulshan Model High School and College and urged voters and party activists to remain at polling centers until the end of voting. Amin emphasized that citizens’ participation would safeguard their democratic rights and ensure the continuation of Bangladesh’s democratic journey.

Nasiruddin Patwari, the candidate of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance for the Dhaka-8 constituency, alleged irregularities and bias by presiding officers during the 13th National Parliamentary Election. Speaking to journalists after visiting the Segunbagicha High School polling center on Thursday afternoon, he claimed that his polling agents were obstructed and that voting was conducted unfairly in several centers.

Patwari stated that at Mirza Abbas Mohila College, his agent was confined for nearly three hours and that voting for female voters was deliberately slowed. He further alleged that the presiding officer at the Railway Colony center, identified as Mohammad Russell, a deputy director at Bangladesh Bank, was working in favor of the BNP’s ‘sheaf of paddy’ symbol. Patwari also claimed that some voters were prevented from leaving polling centers after voting and were given separate slips.

He said he verbally informed army officials about the incidents but had not filed a written complaint. Patwari added that ballot papers already marked with the BNP symbol were found in several areas and that his agents were expelled from polling centers. He said his coalition would decide later whether to accept the election results.

Jonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, the chief coordinator and candidate of the Ganosamhati Andolon supported by the BNP alliance, cast his vote on Thursday morning at Kolakandi Government Primary School in Fordabad Union, Bancharampur, Brahmanbaria-6 constituency. After voting, he described the day as long-awaited and paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the democratic struggle.

Saki said the current election is part of a long democratic movement that began with the fight against fascism. He mentioned that former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia had been a central figure in this movement, though she could not witness the day. Commenting on the voting atmosphere, he noted that despite earlier concerns, voters were coming to polling centers and the environment remained peaceful.

He emphasized the need for a free, fair, and acceptable election, urging all candidates to act responsibly to maintain peace. Saki added that victory and defeat are natural in elections and represent the beauty of democracy.