Dhaka: Voters began gathering outside polling stations across Bangladesh in the early morning hours on Thursday (February 12), some arriving well before the scheduled 7:30 am opening to secure their place in line for an election many thought they would never see.By the time polls opened, queues snaked around buildings in cities and villages alike as Bangladeshis turned out in large numbers for the first parliamentary election since a student-led uprising ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule in August 2024.By 2 pm, nearly 48% of eligible voters had cast ballots at 36,000 of the country’s 43,000 polling centres, according to the Election Commission. Polling closed at 4:30 pm local time, following which counting began once all the votes of people standing in line were cast.For many voters, casting a ballot meant more than just choosing a candidate. Standing in a slow-moving line at a polling centre in the Dhaka-13 constituency, Rashad al-Islam, 37, said it was the first time he had voted since becoming eligible after the 2008 election, widely considered the last free and fair contest. “I did not want to vote the last few times,” he said. “My main factor is the candidate, not the party. The candidate has to work for me.”Rashad al-Islam said this is the first time he has voted since he became to eligible to vote after the 2008 election.Scenes from the July revolution kept playing through the mind of Emon, 28, who declined to give his full name as he travelled to vote with his family. “That I can vote freely, and everyone is here voting freely, makes it worthwhile,” he told The Wire at the Civil Aviation School and College’s vast playground where voters who had cast their ballots were still lingering, making reels for social media and taking photos. Security personnel periodically asked the voters to leave.He remembered the last time he cast his vote, in the 2018 elections, clearly. “There were hardly any people around. You can see the people here so happy, taking photos of each other. It feels completely different,” Emon said, waving to the people who milled around even after they had cast their votes.The poll atmosphere was calm, according to Sanjida Sahid, voting in the Dhaka-12 constituency. She felt able to participate properly after a long time. “Earlier votes only saw one side canvassing. But this time we have seen campaigns from various different parties. Everyone came. Everyone participated,” she said. She voted yes in the referendum because, she said, “I want reform. I wish for our country to be more developed.”A sticker on the bag of a mediaperson covering the elections.For the first time, voters had to make a choice on two ballot papers – one for the parliamentary candidate and another on the constitutional reforms proposed in the July Charter. While voters who spoke to The Wire in Dhaka were ready to talk about the referendum, they were more wary about revealing their choice for parliament.More than 127 million voters were eligible to participate in the election, which will determine 300 members of parliament. The vote marks an attempt to transition from the 18-month interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus back to elected democratic rule.The political landscape has changed dramatically. Hasina’s Awami League, which dominated previous elections, has been banned from participating. The contest became primarily a battle between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, and a newly formed alliance spearheaded by the Jamaat-e-Islami and the youth-led National Citizen Party, born from the 2024 protest movement.Young voters were seen as key to the outcome. Bangladeshis aged 18 to 37 make up nearly 44% of the electorate. Many were voting for the first time in their lives.Women lining up to vote outside a women’s-only polling centre in Banani, many of them wearing BNP campaign paraphernalia.Outside a women-only polling center in Banani, voters lined up before 7:30 am, many wearing BNP campaign paraphernalia. When the doors opened, the queue moved inside quickly. Among them was Mim, a 22-year-old first-time voter wearing a cap with the BNP symbol.“I could not sleep the entire night in excitement to vote,” she said, explaining she had arrived before the gates opened. The women with her were colleagues from an NGO that she works for a UNDP programme.The feeling of freedom was palpable for many first-time voters. Fauzera Ira, 27, and Sumaya Mahmood, 26, described feeling safe and happy. “After 17 years we are giving vote to someone. So it’s like a freedom for us. It’s like a victory for us,” Ira said.They thanked interim government chief advisor Yunus and the students who died during the July uprising. Asked about their top priority for the new government, Ira said freedom of speech would be enough for now, though she also wanted accountability for the previous government. “We really hope that he will make sure of that first,” she said, referring to punishment for wrongdoing. Both voted yes in the referendum, saying reforms were needed.Many Dhaka residents have gone out of the city to their hometowns to cast their votes.Pushing through the crush of media at the Gulshan polling centre, Fahmida Hamed, 55, with her son Mashroor Ahmed, 22, said she had never felt this kind of excitement for an election. “It feels like Eid,” she said. “I had voted before but it was pro forma. We already knew what the result would be. Even this contest in Tarique Rahman’s constituency is close. Nobody is clear about the result. That’s what should happen in a democracy.”Her son, a computer science student voting for the first time, agreed. “There was no point of voting earlier.” Asked if they planned to vote for the same party, both recoiled laughing. “No,” they said.Asked if they would vote for same party this time around, Fahmida Hamed and Mashroor Ahmed recoiled laughing, “No”.At the Gulshan Model School and College, Mohammad Harun, 55, had returned to his old neighbourhood to vote. A BNP supporter, he claimed not to have voted in 17 years. He enthusiastically recalled shaking hands with Ziaur Rahman three times as a child.Excitement about a fair election drove many to the polls. Yusra Noor, a first-time voter, said she was hopeful. “I feel like the freedom of speech we get,” she said, reflecting on changes since the revolution. Asked about her top priority for the new government, she said poverty. “I think if they work on that, many crimes will be stopped. I think poverty is a major reason.” She voted yes in the referendum, citing provisions on women’s rights and other reforms.But some voters cautioned against expecting immediate transformation. Hassan Hoque said he was finally able to cast his vote after years of waiting. “We did have a lot of crisis for the last 17 years. So we cannot expect great from the glitz. We cannot expect a good result tremendously within two years. It takes time,” he said.His top priority for the new government was education. “This is the fall and the must thing for every citizen. The previous bad histories that only happened because of lack of education, the proper literacy, proper knowledge.” He voted yes in the referendum because, he said, “no one will be able to be the fascist again.”Mohammad Harun claimed not to have voted for the last 17 years.Many parts of Dhaka were noticeably quieter than usual as residents travelled to their home districts to vote. Before polls opened, roads in areas like Banani had few cars and even fewer of the capital’s ubiquitous cycle rickshaws.Security was tight throughout the day, with hundreds of thousands of law enforcement personnel deployed nationwide. In Dhaka’s upscale Banani and Gulshan neighbourhoods, military personnel, police and paramilitary forces formed layers of security around the Gulshan Model High School and College, where both Tarique and Yunus were scheduled to vote.A large contingent of Bangladeshi and foreign media, including mainstream reporters, YouTubers and TikTokers, waited for hours outside the centre.The contrast with previous elections was stark. A presiding officer at a Dhaka polling centre who had also overseen the 2024 election said that vote saw only 500 to 550 ballots cast from among 3,700 registered voters. “Election was poor. Because most of the parties were not participating in that election. It was one-sided election. That’s why the casting was so weak,” he said.A huge contingent of Bangladeshi and foreign media – mainstream, YouTubers and TikTokers – waiting for Tarique Rahman to vote.This time, he said, candidates were courteous and supportive rather than applying pressure. “The environment of the election is superb. People of Bangladesh were expecting this kind of environment for a good election,” he said, noting that many voters stayed at the centre long after casting their ballots simply to enjoy the atmosphere.Tarique Rahman arrived at around 9:40 am with his wife, Zubaida Rahman, and their daughter Zaima, who was voting for the first time. It was the first election Tarique had voted in in 25 years. In 2001, he had voted at the Adamjee Cantonment Public School and College in Dhaka Cantonment.Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot, the BNP chairman said people in Bangladesh had been waiting for this day for more than a decade. He said he was confident his party would win.“I personally and firmly believe that if the people of Bangladesh come out throughout the day and exercise their rights by casting their votes, then Inshallah it will be possible to thwart any conspiracy,” he said.Tarique Rahman votes. Photo: BNP.Asked about priorities if the BNP wins, Tarique said improving law and order would come first. “We have said before that if we win, our highest priority will be improving the country’s law and order situation so that people feel safe. The general people across the country must feel secure. That will be our main focus.”Earlier in the morning, in the Mirpur area, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman had cast his vote at 8:15 am at Monipur High School. He reflected on missing three consecutive elections while in jail.“For 15 years the people of this country could not vote, and neither could I. In 2014, 2018 and 2024, I was in jail and did not get the opportunity to vote. After missing those three elections, today, Alhamdulillah, Almighty Allah has given us the chance to vote.”Paramilitary soldiers from the government-administered Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP).Later in the day, however, he alleged that Jamaat polling agents had been expelled from some polling stations in the Barura area of Laksam in Comilla, blaming “opponents”.At least four people died at or near polling stations in four districts, The Daily Star reported.In Khulna, Mohibuzzaman Kachi, 60, a BNP leader, died after an altercation at a polling station. The BNP alleged he was pushed by a Jamaat activist, but Khulna Metropolitan Police commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Hasan said CCTV footage did not support this.In Kishoreganj, Razzak Miah, 55, collapsed and died after allegedly being chased by law enforcement. Doctors suspected a heart attack. In Manikganj, Babu Mia, 70, died while waiting to vote. In Brahmanbaria, polling officer Mozahidul Islam, 48, died of a stroke shortly after voting began.Crude bomb blasts disrupted voting in Munshiganj and in Gopalganj, the home district of Hasina and a traditional Awami League stronghold.In Gopalganj, three people including two members of the paramilitary Ansar force and a 13-year-old girl were injured in an explosion at around 9 am at the Reshma International School polling centre, additional superintendent of police Md Sarwar Hossain told The Daily Star. The injuries were minor and voting continued normally, he said.Independent candidate Tasnim Jara, running in the Dhaka-9 constituency, alleged her polling agents faced obstruction at several centres, with many denied entry or expelled on what she called “baseless and fabricated” grounds.Walking out of the polling booth, Mukta Sarkar, who has voted in previous elections, didn’t want to reveal her choice.As voting concluded at 4:30 pm, both major political camps claimed victory while alleging irregularities.The Jamaat-led 11-party alliance described the voting process as “excellent” and expressed hopes of winning a “landslide victory”. Speaking at a press conference at the Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar around 5:30 pm, party assistant secretary general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said a large number of people participated spontaneously. The environment was festive and peaceful, he said.“Compared to any time in the past, the environment was festive, peaceful and participatory,” he said. “The election would set an example in Bangladesh’s electoral history. We are now eagerly waiting for the results to be announced as quickly as possible.”The BNP’s Mahdi Amin was more cautious at a separate press briefing. He extended thanks to the Election Commission, the armed forces, the interim government and law enforcement agencies, while expressing condolences to the families of those injured or killed in election-related violence.Amin said that since the previous night, there had been violence, irregularities and the use of black money in attempts to make the election controversial. He cited deliberate violations of the electoral code of conduct, reports of pre-stamped ballots, fake voting and allegations of votes cast in the names of deceased individuals. Many voters complained they were unable to cast their votes, he said.“We firmly believe the BNP’s victory is inevitable,” Amin said. “I urge all democracy-loving citizens to remain vigilant to ensure a fair count and accurate results.”This story was updated at 9:45 PM on Thursday.