Bangladesh 13th Parliamentary Elections Voting Ends

Bangladesh 13th Parliamentary Elections voting ended across the country, and officials have started counting the votes.

The election took place 18 months after a student-led movement ended Sheikh Hasina’s two-decade rule.

Election authorities confirmed that polling closed peacefully in most areas. Officials have now begun the vote counting process.

Strong Competition Between Major Alliances

Political analysts expect a tough contest between alliances led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

In past elections, unofficial results usually started coming in by the next morning. However, the Election Commission said this time counting may take longer.

Officials explained that voters used two ballot papers. They used a white ballot paper for parliamentary seats. They used a pink ballot paper for a national charter referendum held alongside the election.

Authorities also noted that more political parties and candidates participated this time. This factor may slow down the counting process.

Special Prayers for Peace and Development

The Bangladesh Election Commission requested special prayers across the country.

It asked mosques to hold prayers after Friday prayers for peace, prosperity, and continued development. It also asked places of worship of other religions to arrange prayer gatherings at suitable times.

The Commission thanked political parties, candidates, law enforcement agencies, election staff, observers, journalists, and voters. Officials said everyone cooperated to maintain a free, fair, and neutral election environment.

Voting Details and Turnout

Voting took place in 299 out of 300 parliamentary constituencies.

Authorities set up 42,761 polling stations across 64 districts. The Parliament of Bangladesh, known as Jatiya Sangsad, has 350 members. Voters elect 300 members directly. The remaining 50 seats remain reserved for women and parties allocate them through proportional representation.

Read Also: Bangladesh Referendum: 67% Voters Back Key Reforms

According to the final voter list released in November 2025, 127,711,793 voters registered for this election. This number includes 64,825,361 male voters and 62,885,200 female voters.

For the first time, authorities introduced postal voting. Nearly 15 million overseas workers benefited from this facility.

Incident in Gopalganj

In Dhaka’s Gopalganj district, a hand grenade exploded at a polling station. The blast injured three people. Authorities launched an investigation into the incident.

Despite this isolated event, officials reported that most polling stations remained peaceful.

As vote counting continues, the nation now waits for the official results of the Bangladesh 13th Parliamentary Elections.