Bangladesh reports 32.88% voter turnout by midday in historic election

DHAKA: By 12:00 pm on Thursday, voter turnout at Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections reached 32.88 percent, according to reports received from 32,789 out of more than 42,000 polling stations nationwide, the Bangladesh Election Commission said.

Senior Secretary of the Election Commission, Akhtar Ahmed, shared the figures with the media during a midday press briefing.

Voting across the country began at 7:30 am local time and is scheduled to continue until 4:30 pm, the Election Commission added.

The turnout figures come amid heightened anticipation for the first election in Bangladesh following the 2024 Gen Z-led uprising that resulted in the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Election officials are closely monitoring polling stations to ensure smooth operations throughout the day.

Enthusiasm among voters

The votes are currently a mix bag of both Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh National party (BNP) as Awami League which has ruled the country for many decades earlier was not permitted to participate in the elections.

Voters comprising of older men and women alongside the younger lot are arriving at the polling station with only two and a half hours remaining for the booths to be closed.

Corruption tops voters’ concerns

A recent survey by the Dhaka-based Communication Research Foundation and Bangladesh Elections and Public Opinion Studies found corruption to be the primary concern for voters. The country has consistently ranked among the world’s worst performers in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, highlighting persistent challenges in governance and public trust.

Both leading coalitions—the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami—have centered their campaigns on anti-corruption promises. Jamaat, in particular, has leveraged its image as a party committed to tackling graft, which has bolstered its political resurgence ahead of the election. Analysts say the focus on corruption could play a decisive role in determining the outcome of this high-stakes vote.