A woman displays her ink-stained finger after casting ballot in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 12, 2026. Voting began across Bangladesh on Thursday morning in the country's national parliament election, with more than 127 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots. The voting started at 7:30 a.m. local time at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide and will be closed at 4:30 p.m. local time. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua)
DHAKA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Voting began across Bangladesh on Thursday morning in the country's national parliament election, with more than 127 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots.
The voting started at 7:30 a.m. local time at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide and will be closed at 4:30 p.m. local time.
Long queues of voters stretched outside polling stations in parts of Dhaka on Wednesday night before voting began. "This is my first time voting, and I'm really excited," Miraz Ahmed, a Gen Z voter, told Xinhua Wednesday night. "I'm getting my voter number from this help desk so tomorrow morning I can go straight into the polling station without waiting," he said.
According to the Election Commission, a total of 2,028 candidates are contesting for 299 out of the 300 directly-elected parliamentary constituencies. The election for the last seat will be held later because of the death of a candidate.
This is the South Asian country's first general election since Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister in August 2024 amid nationwide political chaos.
In Bangladesh, a party can form the government only if it clinches 151 seats in total. Officials said the counting of votes will be done on the spot soon after voting concludes.
Election officials check a voter's identity and hand out a ballot paper in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 12, 2026.
Voting began across Bangladesh on Thursday morning in the country's national parliament election, with more than 127 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots.
The voting started at 7:30 a.m. local time at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide and will be closed at 4:30 p.m. local time. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua)
Several women display their ink-stained fingers after casting their ballots in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 12, 2026.
Voting began across Bangladesh on Thursday morning in the country's national parliament election, with more than 127 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots.
The voting started at 7:30 a.m. local time at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide and will be closed at 4:30 p.m. local time. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua)
Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in the National Parliament election and a public referendum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 12, 2026.
Voting began across Bangladesh on Thursday morning in the country's national parliament election, with more than 127 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots.
The voting started at 7:30 a.m. local time at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide and will be closed at 4:30 p.m. local time. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua)
Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in the National Parliament election and a public referendum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 12, 2026.
Voting began across Bangladesh on Thursday morning in the country's national parliament election, with more than 127 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots.
The voting started at 7:30 a.m. local time at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide and will be closed at 4:30 p.m. local time. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua)
Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in the National Parliament election and a public referendum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 12, 2026.
Voting began across Bangladesh on Thursday morning in the country's national parliament election, with more than 127 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots.
The voting started at 7:30 a.m. local time at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide and will be closed at 4:30 p.m. local time. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua)
A voter casts her ballots in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 12, 2026.
Voting began across Bangladesh on Thursday morning in the country's national parliament election, with more than 127 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots.
The voting started at 7:30 a.m. local time at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide and will be closed at 4:30 p.m. local time. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua)