Voting in 11th general election underway

Staff Correspondent:  About 104.2 million voters have begun casting their ballots for the 11th parliamentary election.

Polling opened at 8.00am on Sunday at 40,183 voting centres and will run through 4.00pm.

A total of 1,861 candidates are vying for 299 seats of (JS) in the polls. Among them, 1,733 are from political parties and 128 independents.

The election in Gaibandha-3 constituency has been deferred due to the death of a candidate and voting for the seat will be held on January 27.

A total of 10,42,38,677 voters, including 5,25,72,365 male and 5,16,66,312 female, are expected to cast their votes at 206,477 polling booths of the 40,183 voting centers in 299 constituencies across the country.

The EC is taking votes using Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at all polling booths in six constituencies for the first time. The constituencies are- Dhaka-6 and 13, Chattogram-9, Rangpur-3, Khulna-2 and Satkhira-2.

In compliance with new electoral rules, a total of 39 registered political parties are contesting the polls.

About 6,08,000 members of law enforcement agencies have already been deployed to maintain law and order cross the country.

A total of 4,0183 presiding officers, 20,7,312 assistant presiding officers and 4,14,624 polling officers have been appointed for conducting the election while about 1,328 executive magistrates and 640 judicial magistrates are working in 122 electoral inquiry committees during the polls.

risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 30, 2018/Hasibul/Mukul