In a press briefing held at the Agargaon premises of the Election Commission (EC), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal announced that approximately 40 percent of ballots have been cast during the ongoing 12th National Assembly elections. The electoral process is underway in 299 of the total 300 electoral districts today.

As of the latest updates provided by the Secretary of the Election Commission, Jahangir Alam, by 3 pm, the capital city of Dhaka witnessed a voter turnout of 25 percent, while Chittagong recorded 27 percent. Khulna saw 32 percent, Sylhet observed a turnout of 22 percent, Mymensingh registered 29 percent, and both Rajshahi and Rangpur experienced a turnout of 26 percent. Notably, Barisal witnessed the highest turnout among these regions with an impressive 31 percent.

This comes as a significant increase from the initial four hours of voting until 12 noon when the Election Commission had reported a nationwide turnout of 18.5 percent. The evolving participation rates indicate a dynamic electoral landscape with voters actively exercising their democratic rights.

The current electoral poll boasts a staggering 119,691,633 eligible voters, comprising 67,715,579 male voters and 58,919,202 female voters. Additionally, 852 individuals identifying as the third gender have registered to cast their votes. The extensive electoral infrastructure includes a total of 42,103 polling stations and an impressive 261,912 polling booths distributed across the country.

As the nation eagerly awaits the final results, the diverse turnouts across regions underscore the engagement of the electorate in shaping the political future of Bangladesh. Stay tuned for further updates as the 12th National Assembly elections continue to unfold.