DHAKA: Bangladesh began voting on Thursday in nationwide general elections alongside a referendum, with polling taking place across 299 parliamentary constituencies, according to the Election Commission.
Polling stations opened at 7:30 a.m. local time and will close at 4:30 p.m. More than 127 million registered voters are eligible to cast ballots.
A total of 50 political parties are participating in the parliamentary race for 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, the national parliament. A party or alliance must secure at least 151 seats to form a majority government.
Major contenders include the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party and several other political groups fielding candidates nationwide.
Authorities have deployed armed forces personnel across the country to support civilian law enforcement agencies in maintaining security during the voting process.
Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh said arrangements had been finalized to ensure the election and referendum are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, according to an official statement issued in Dhaka.
A recent public opinion survey indicated a close contest between alliances led by the BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The survey projected narrow margins between the two political blocs.
Election officials said results would be compiled after the close of polling and announced in phases as counting progresses.
