B Mirror Report: The 13th national parliamentary elections and referendum-2026 will be held tomorrow, with voting set to take place simultaneously in 299 parliamentary constituencies across the country from 7:30am to 4:30pm without any break.

The Election Commission (EC) has suspended polling in Sherpur-3 constituency following the death of a candidate. As a result, elections will be conducted in 299 out of the total 300 constituencies.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Machud told BSS that comprehensive preparations and extensive security arrangements have been completed nationwide to ensure that the polls are held in a free, fair and peaceful environment.

Nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed in the field to maintain security during the election, he said, adding that more than 100,000 army members have already been stationed. The commissioner noted that the entire country has been brought under strict security coverage for the occasion.

According to the EC, the law and order situation remains normal so far, expressing hope that it will continue to remain stable on polling day. Machud urged voters to come to polling centres in groups and cast their votes in a festive mood.

He expressed optimism about the election, saying many citizens have not had the opportunity to vote for a long time. He also encouraged young voters to actively participate and exercise their democratic rights.

“The voting will be held in a festive and election-friendly atmosphere. Voters will be able to go to polling centres without fear or anxiety and return home safely after casting their ballots,” he said.

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar said the Commission has finalized all preparations for the national election and referendum. He stated that all necessary administrative, technical and security steps have been taken to ensure a credible and peaceful voting process.

He added that the key responsibility now lies with the voters to attend polling stations and exercise their franchise. Sarkar also said the highest number of law enforcement personnel in the country’s history have been deployed to guarantee overall security, with no major untoward incidents reported so far.

Regarding voter turnout, he predicted that participation may be slightly below or above 55 percent.

According to EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, voting will be conducted in 42,779 polling centres across the country, with 247,482 polling booths set up.

A total of 50 political parties are taking part in the election, with 2,028 candidates contesting. Of them, 1,755 belong to political parties and 273 are independent contenders. There are 83 female candidates 63 nominated by parties and 20 independents. BNP has fielded the highest number of candidates among political parties, with 291 nominees.

EC Secretariat Director (Public Relations) Md Ruhul Amin Mollick said that 12,77,11,893 voters from 299 constituencies are expected to cast their ballots in the election and referendum. Of them, 6,48,25,361 are male voters, 6,28,85,200 female voters and 1,232 third-gender voters.

Around 800,000 officials will perform election duties to ensure smooth polling. The officials include 69 Returning Officers, 598 Assistant Returning Officers, 42,779 Presiding Officers, 247,482 Assistant Presiding Officers and 4,95,964 polling officers. Additionally, about 15,000 officials will oversee postal voting.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said approximately 9,58,000 members of law enforcement agencies have been deployed. For the first time, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), drones and body-worn cameras are being used to strengthen security during the election.

Among the forces, 103,000 army troops, 3,500 air force personnel and 5,000 navy members have been deployed. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will deploy 37,453 personnel, while the Coast Guard will station 3,585 members in 17 constituencies under 10 districts, covering 332 polling centres in 69 unions across 20 upazilas.

A total of 187,603 police and 9,349 RAB members will be on duty. Additionally, 5,67,868 Ansar personnel and 1,922 Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) members will remain deployed on polling day.

To oversee election-related offences, 2,098 executive magistrates and 657 judicial magistrates have been appointed. The judicial magistrates will serve in 299 constituencies for five days from February 10 to February 14 to handle offences and conduct trials.

Since the announcement of the election schedule, 1,047 executive magistrates have been appointed to enforce the electoral code of conduct, while another 1,051 have been deployed as per the requirements of returning officers to maintain law and order and coordinate mobile courts and strike forces.

A total of 55,454 observers from 81 local organisations will monitor the polls, including 7,997 central and 47,457 local observers in parliamentary constituencies.

At least 394 international election observers and 197 foreign journalists have arrived in Bangladesh to observe the election and referendum. Of the international observers, 80 represent various global organisations, 239 come from bilateral countries, including independent European observers, and 51 are individuals affiliated with international institutions, according to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.

The number of foreign observers for the 13th general election is more than double that of the January 7, 2024 polls.

Major observer missions include the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) with 28 observers, the Commonwealth Secretariat with 27, the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) with 19 and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) with one.

Observers are also attending from organisations such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), and the European External Action Service, along with representatives from 21 countries including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, China, Japan and others.

In addition, 51 observers representing organisations such as Voice for Justice, Democracy International, SNAS Africa, SAARC Human Rights Foundation and the Polish Institute of International Affairs will monitor the polls in their individual capacities.

A total of 15,33,684 overseas (OCV) and domestic (ICPV) voters have registered to cast their ballots through the Postal Vote BD mobile app. Among them, 7,72,546 are expatriate voters and 7,61,138 are local voters.

Voting will be conducted using ballot papers and transparent ballot boxes. Voters present within polling centre premises after 4:30pm will be allowed to cast their votes in accordance with the law.