Ansar members carry ballot boxes and other election materials for transportation to various polling centres in the city on Saturday. This photo was taken at Willes Little Flower School and College at Kakrail from where these materials were being distributed. — FE photo Voting for election to Bangladesh's twelfth parliament takes place today, against a grim background of opposition boycott and unrest in the run-up.
Balloting will take place from 8 am to 4 pm amid tight security to fend off any trouble as the main opposition BNP and its allies have boycotted what they called 'managed' election and called a two-day countrywide shutdown covering the election day.
By all accounts, the ruling Awami League is poised to get a clean sweep for a straight fourth term in power.
The voting will be held in 42,025 polling centres, which are covered under security blanket amid the 48-hour-long hartal call by BNP from Saturday with a call for the people not to turn up at the booths.
The election draws huge attention from the international community as the United States and its western allies have also been vocal for long to see a free and fair election in the country on the heels of allegations of manipulation and rigging in the previous elections -- in much the same vein as the political opposition here.
The US even imposed visa restrictions recently, saying that it will be effective against those who impede the process of holding free and fair election.
But the government high-ups, including Prime Minister and President of the ruling Awami League Sheikh Hasina, have repeatedly assured of holding free and fair elections.
But many believe the main challenge of the government will be to ensure sufficient turnout of voters in the election. Talking to the FE, a number of experts and policymakers said that if the voter turnout would be over 50 per cent, the election could be projected as acceptable.
"Participatory election means participation of people. If they vote in sufficient number, it will be an acceptable election to all, and in that case, absence of any party would not matter," foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told the FE correspondent.
Political analysts believe Sheikh Hasina is set to win a fourth straight term and the fifth overall for her Awami League-led alliance by winning today's election.
The BNP, led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who has long been in internment, is boycotting the polls as the government denied their demand for holding the elections under a caretaker government.
The ailing Zia has been under 'house arrest' since jail release after her conviction in a corruption case, which her party said was politically motivated.
The opposition alleged that almost all of their senor leaders were arrested following their abortive rally on October 28 last year that got dispersed following a crackdown amid violence around.
They have said the results of the elections are predetermined and hence they cannot join the fray only to give the seal of legitimacy on the outcome.
This time, voting for the 300-seat parliament will take place in 299 constituencies as polling is postponed in Naogaon-2 constituency due to the death of an independent candidate.
A total of 1970 aspirants from 27 parties and independent candidacies are contesting today's election, of which 266 belong to the ruling Awami League. The party has left 34 seats for its allies.
Jatiya Party -- virtually AL's ally in a sort of loose lineup -- is contesting in 265 constituencies but several of them have already quit the race alleging lack of conducive environment.
A latest political offshoot, Trinamul BNP, has fielded 135 candidates, National People's Party 12, Bangladesh Congress 96, Bangladesh Nationalist Movement or BNM set 56. Besides, 436 candidates are contesting independently -- and most of them happen to be rebel AL party members, including sitting MPs.
The number of women candidates is 90 and indigenous candidates 79.
Restrictions have been imposed on vehicular movement under which taxicab, pickup, microbus and trucks cannot ply the road on the polling day. But private car and public bus remain out of the purview of road ban.
A ban on movement of motorcycle has been in force since Friday midnight until Monday midnight as part of the security measure.
This time ballot boxes will be sent to the centres on the morning of the voting day save 2964 centres in the remote places, where ballot boxes were sent on Saturday.
Around 750,000 security personnel are deployed across the country, of which 517143 are members of the Ansar Force, sources in the Election Commission said. The rest are members of Police, Border Guards of Bangladesh, RAB, Coast Guard and Navy. Besides, army personnel have been deployed from January 3 for 8 days to act as striking force.
Around 3653 executive and judicial magistrates are engaged in election duties, EC officials said.
The elections are being observed by 127 international observers, the EC said, adding that 59 foreign journalists are given permission to cover the much-discussed election.
The number of local election observers is 20,773, representing 124 organisations.
A sum of Tk 23 billion is estimated as the budget for the national election this time, of which Tk 12.26 billion is earmarked for the security purpose. The rest of the amount, over Tk 10.50 billion, will be spent on conducting elections.
The number of voters who are eligible for voting is 119,691,633 of whom 58,919,202 are women and 852 transgender.
Meanwhile, there waves of violence like train and road-transport torching, attacks on campaign trails and camps, shootings and so have occurred in the run-up to the polls. A number of deaths have been reported in the incidents, including four burnt to death and six suffering burns in a terrible train fire on Friday night.
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