The voter turnout is 32.88 percent throughout the country till 12:00pm in the first half of the ongoing nine-hour balloting of the parliamentary election and referendum, according to the data of the Election Commission.“We’ve gleaned the data from 32,789 out of 42,651 polling stations. According to the data, the voter turnout is 32.88 percent,” said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed while briefing reporters at 1:10pm in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban.The balloting began at 7:30am and will continue uninterrupted till 4:30pm. The balloting is being held in 299 out of 300 parliamentary constituencies across the country amid a peaceful environment. The EC Secretary said no polling station has had its voting postponed or suspended anywhere in the country as of the latest update.

“According to the information available to us so far, voting has not been postponed at any polling station. Balloting is continuing in all polling centres,” he said adding the balloting continued now in all the polling stations across the country.

Referring to reports of isolated incidents in some places, the EC senior secretary said the situations were brought under control promptly.

“There were some isolated incidents in a few places. But those are now under control. The local administration has taken necessary measures immediately. There is no alarming situation anywhere at this time,” he added.

The balloting for both referendum and national election is being held simultaneously in all the constituencies except Sherpur-3 where the voting was postponed following the death of Jamaat’s contesting candidate in the parliamentary seat.

Akhtar Ahmed also said an assistant presiding officer unfortunately passed away in the early hours of Thursday ahead of the balloting in Mymensingh and a replacement officer was immediately made.

Senior Joint Secretary of BNP, Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, has reportedly fallen ill. On Wednesday evening, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman visited him at Square Hospital. During the visit, he inquired about Rizvi’s health condition and wished him a speedy recovery. He also urged party leaders and members to pray for Rizvi’s swift recuperation. Other party leaders present at the hospital said that Rizvi’s illness has raised concern across various levels of the party. Numerous party workers and leaders are keeping track of his condition and praying for his quick recovery so that he can return to normal life soon.

According to BNP’s central office, Rizvi has been unable to participate directly in some programs and party activities due to his illness. However, doctors have reported that his condition is stable. Leaders and workers at all levels of the party are united in their prayers for his health.

BNP leaders expressed optimism that Rizvi will soon recover and resume his responsibilities within the party. The party’s top leadership also sincerely hopes for his prompt return to normal life and full participation in party affairs.

Mahdi Amin, spokesperson for the BNP’s Election Management Committee, has said that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) victory in the 13th National Parliamentary Election is inevitable, and that this picture has also been reflected in both domestic and international media.He made the remarks at a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon at the party’s central election management office in Gulshan, ahead of the national election voting.During the press conference, he also referred to the detention of Belal Uddin Pradhan, Ameer of Thakurgaon district Jamaat-e-Islami, who was allegedly apprehended at Saidpur Airport with a bag containing cash.

Mahdi Amin claimed that certain groups are attempting to create obstacles in the face of what he described as BNP’s inevitable victory.

“After traveling from Dhaka to Saidpur, the Ameer of Thakurgaon district Jamaat was detained by police with more than five million taka in cash. At a time when all banks, financial institutions, and business transactions are suspended to prevent illegal financial dealings during the election, it naturally raises questions—what was the source of this large sum of money? For what purpose was he carrying it? And to whom was he planning to deliver it on the eve of the election?” he said.

He described the matter as a “violation of the electoral code of conduct,” adding:

“Those who speak about establishing justice and fighting corruption—how consistent is vote-buying with their anti-corruption rhetoric?”

Mahdi Amin further alleged that the incident should not be viewed in isolation. He claimed that similar situations are occurring in other constituencies, including Dhaka-15—where the Jamaat Ameer is contesting—as well as in Cumilla, Noakhali, and Khulna.

He also alleged that Jamaat members had been collecting mobile banking (bKash) numbers from voters door-to-door. “In many parts of the country, they are gathering bamboo sticks, pipes, and local weapons to spread fear. We have also received information that burqas and niqabs are being prepared in different areas,” he said.

“As a party that upholds Islamic values, BNP believes that the burqa and niqab are very important to the citizens of Bangladesh. We are respectful of women’s modesty and religious observance. However, if anyone attempts to misuse Islamic attire to cast fraudulent votes under false identities, that must be prevented,” Mahdi Amin stated at the press conference.

An assistant presiding officer assigned to duty in the 13th National Parliamentary Election was killed in a road accident in Sherpur on Wednesday, while on his way to perform election responsibilities. Four others were injured in the incident.The accident occurred around 11:30 am in the Shimultali area of Char Pakshimari ইউনিয়ন on the Sherpur–Jamalpur regional road. According to local sources, a head-on collision between a mini truck and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw led to the tragic incident. The deceased was identified as Roknuzzaman Rukun, 31, a junior instructor in the Department of Environmental Technology at Sherpur Polytechnic Institute. He had been appointed as an assistant presiding officer at Sherpur Government Girls’ High School polling center for the 13th National Parliamentary Election.

Rukun hailed from Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur district. The injured individuals were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Further details regarding their condition were not immediately available. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.