Bangladesh on Sunday recorded low voter turnout amid opposition BNP's boycott of the elections. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to win a fourth straight term amid the tensions and violence prevailing in the nation.
According to the initial estimates, the voter turnout was around 40 per cent but the figure could change after the final count, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said.
The voter turnout was recorded 27.18 per cent at 3 pm. In 2018, the general elections registered an overall turnout of over 80 per cent.
An election commission spokesman said that the voting ended at 4 pm and the counting has started.
The results are expected on Monday.
Amid tight security blanket, the voting was peaceful in majority of the areas. However, sporadic incidents of violence were reported in some districts. The Commission suspended polling in one seat because of the death of a candidate.
The Commission cancelled the candidature of a ruling Awami League candidate in northeastern Chattogram towards the end of the voting hours as he threatened a police officer. With the Awami League candidate out of the race, the polls in the constituency was contested by the two rebel candidates of the ruling party.
Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies boycotted the polls saying no election would be fair under the current government.
Voting was cancelled at three centres -- one in Narsingdi and two in Narayanganj. According to reports, the Election Commission ordered the arrest of Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun's son on charges of electoral fraud in Narsingdi.
Clashes were reported in Chattogram, where two people were shot and rushed to the nearby hospital. Two crude bombs exploded near a voting centre in Dhaka's Hazaribagh, where four people got injured.
Over 7.5 lakh members of law enforcement agencies and security forces have been deployed to ensure law and order during the polls.
A total of 119.6 million registered voters were eligible to vote at Sunday's polls, in which over 1,500 candidates from 27 parties contested.
Prime Minister Hasina, along with he daughter Saima Wazed cast their vote at Dhaka City College polling centre.
Hasina, 76, has been in power since 2009 and her Awami League won the last election in December 2018.
Hasina wins in Gopalganj-3 constituency
Sheikh Hasina was re-elected to Parliament on Sunday from Gopalganj-3 constituency after a landslide victory in the general elections. Hasina bagged 249,965 votes while her nearest rival M Nizam Uddin Lashkar from the Bangladesh Supreme Party secured just 469 votes, bdnews24 reported.
It is the eighth time since 1986 she has won the Gopalganj-3 seat.
