Voting to 12th parliamentary elections begins

Voting to the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections began on Sunday monring.

The balloting started at 8:00am and will continue till 4:00pm without any break at 261,912 polling booths in 42,024 voting centres across the country.

According to the Election Commission, 11,96,89,289 voters, including 6,76,09,741 male, 5,89,18,699 females and 849 transgender, will vote to elect 299 members of parliament out of 300.

The commission earlier postponed the elections to Naogaon-2 due to independent candidate Aminul Islam's death.

A total of 1,970 candidates, including 1,534 from 28 political parties and 436 independents, are contesting in the polls.

Of the candidates, 266 from the ruling Awami League (AL), 265 from Jatiya Party (JaPa), 135 from Trinamool BNP, 66 from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD), 122 from National People's Party (NPP), 13 from Jatiya Party (JP) and 10 from Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh are contesting in the polls.

BSS adds: A total of 90 female candidates, including from political parties and independents, and 79 from ethnic minority and other groups are vying in the polls.

About 800,000 members of law enforcement agencies, including 182,091 from police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), 1,155 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members, 505,788 Ansar and VDP members and Coast Guard personnel, have been tasked with ensuring overall security during the elections across the country.