'Birthday of new Bangladesh': Yunus after casting vote
What's the story
Bangladesh's interim government head Muhammad Yunus has cast his vote in the country's 13th national parliamentary elections and constitutional referendum. The election is a major milestone following a student-led uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government in 2024. Yunus called the day "the birthday of a new Bangladesh," celebrating it as a day of liberation and new beginnings.
Democratic process
'Referendum very important'
Yunus voted at the Gulshan Model School and College polling station in Dhaka, joining millions of Bangladeshis in this historic election. He stressed on the importance of the referendum, saying, "Voting for a candidate is important, but the referendum is very important. The whole of Bangladesh will change." "Through today's process, people have rejected the past. Whatever nightmarish past existed, we have completely discarded it. From today,...we have gained the opportunity to build a new Bangladesh," he said.
Voter turnout
Election process in numbers
The vote count will begin at 4:00pm local time, with official results expected on February 13. Bangladesh has nearly 127 million eligible voters, making it one of the countries with the largest voter bases in the world. Nearly half the voters are aged between 18-37 years, including 4.57 million first-time voters. There are 59 registered political parties in Bangladesh, excluding Hasina's Awami League, which was suspended by the Election Commission last year.
Violence
Violence reported
However, the election has been marred by violence and voter intimidation. Prothom Alo news outlet reported that three people have been injured after an explosive was thrown at the Reshma International School polling station in Gopalganj. According to police officer Jahidul Islam, voting was proceeding quietly until the offenders tossed cocktails from across the canal outside the school. The attack injured two Ansar paramilitary members from Bangladesh, as well as a 14-year-old girl.