By SM Najmus Sakib
DHAKA (AA) – Bangladesh recorded a 32.88% turnout after four and a half hours of voting on Thursday as people stood in long queues to elect a new government for the first time since a popular uprising ended the 15-year rule of the Awami League party.
The voter turnout was recorded across 32,789 polling centers as of 12:00 pm (0600GMT), said Bangladesh Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.
More than 127.6 million people are eligible to vote and will also render their verdict on constitutional reforms.
Amid heavy security with some one million security personnel deployed, voting began at 7.30 am (0130GMT) and will continue for nine hours before closing at 4.30 pm (1030GMT).
Long queues of people are seen outside polling stations, who are expecting a stable and secure Bangladesh with the formation of the new government.
The results are likely to trickle in by late Thursday local time as people elect 300 members of parliament through 42,000 voting centers across the nation.
A total of 51 political parties and 2,034 candidates are competing for parliamentary seats, including 275 independent contenders.
In addition to the 300 general seats where candidates are elected directly by people, parliament includes 50 reserved seats for women, bringing the total size of the house to 350 members.
A Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance and a Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance are the two main contenders after the Awami League party of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was barred from the polls.