Cocktail Bomb Thrown at Voting Centre as Bangladesh Holds First Post-Hasina Poll

Dhaka: Bangladesh on Thursday began voting in a landmark parliamentary election — the first since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from office. Polling opened at 7:30 am local time in 299 of the country’s 300 constituencies and is scheduled to continue until late afternoon.

Vote counting is expected to commence shortly after balloting concludes, with results likely to shape the country’s political trajectory following a period of transition under an interim administration led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

The main electoral contest is between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, once political partners but now rivals. The Awami League, which dominated national politics for years, is not participating after being disbanded by the interim authorities.

Security Tightened, Minor Incidents Reported

Authorities have rolled out one of the largest security deployments in the country’s electoral history. Nearly 900,000 personnel, including police, paramilitary forces and auxiliary units, have been stationed nationwide to ensure peaceful voting.

Despite the extensive arrangements, isolated incidents were reported. In Gopalganj Sadar, crude explosives were allegedly thrown near a polling centre, injuring at least three individuals, including two security personnel. In another instance, voting briefly halted at a centre in Brahmanbaria district after a scuffle reportedly broke out between party workers.

Officials said the situation was swiftly brought under control in both cases.

Massive Contest, High Stakes

A total of 1,755 candidates representing 50 registered political parties, along with 273 independents, are in the fray. The BNP has fielded candidates in nearly all constituencies, making it the largest contender in terms of representation. More than 80 women are contesting seats in this election.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, in a televised message ahead of polling day, urged citizens to vote without fear and called on political actors to maintain calm. Echoing the appeal, Muhammad Yunus emphasised restraint and democratic conduct during the process.

Technology and Surveillance

For the first time, election authorities are deploying drones and body-worn cameras to monitor sensitive areas. Law enforcement agencies have also categorised several polling stations as vulnerable, particularly in parts of Dhaka, and reinforced security accordingly.

In a separate development, police detained three individuals in Joypurhat district over allegations of distributing photocopied ballot materials.