Bangladesh interim government Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus cast his vote in the 13th parliamentary elections on Thursday, describing the day as one of ‘great joy’ and calling it ‘the birthday of the new Bangladesh’, local media reported.
After voting at Gulshan Model High School and College in Dhaka, Yunus urged citizens to participate in both the parliamentary elections and the referendum.
In a nationwide address a day earlier, he termed the vote a ‘critical moment’ in the nation’s political journey.
“This landmark referendum and national parliamentary election will be regarded as a unique and significant chapter in Bangladesh’s political history,” bdnews24 quoted Yunus as saying.
The elections come nearly 18 months after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule following massive protests. Since then, an interim administration led by Yunus has governed the country, a period marked by continued unrest, the rise of hardline Islamic groups and escalating violence against minorities.
Several international human rights organisations have criticised the Yunus-led government, alleging a collapse of law and order, a lack of visible reforms and increasing instability.
Meanwhile, the Awami League has appealed to the international community to prevent the country from collapsing, calling the elections a ‘sham’ and describing the process as a ‘staged exercise’ that excludes parties opposing radical ideology.
Voter Turnout and Referendum
According to The Dhaka Tribune, more than 127 million voters are eligible to cast ballots in the parliamentary polls. The elections coincide with a nationwide referendum.
Of the 127.7 million registered voters, 62.88 million are women, including 2.7 million first-time female voters.
Officials have deployed around 958,000 security personnel, including over 100,000 army personnel, to ensure smooth polling.
Political parties have expressed confidence about forming the next government, though concerns remain over the fairness of the vote.
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