Voting took place in a peaceful and celebratory atmosphere during the 13th national election across the hill districts of Bandarban, Rangamati, and Khagrachhari. There were no significant incidents reported. While Bandarban saw a lower voter turnout, Rangamati and Khagrachhari witnessed long queues at many polling stations.
In Bandarban, voter presence was sparse at most centers when voting commenced at 7:30 am. At the Government Girls’ High School center in Bandarban town, around 55% of the 3,784 registered voters had cast their ballots by the end of voting at 4:30 pm. A similar scenario unfolded at the Bus Station Government Primary School center, where approximately 56% of the 3,311 registered voters participated. Turnout at remote centers ranged between 45% and 55%, as per election officials.
In total, 186 centers accommodated 315,422 registered voters in the district, according to district administration sources. Rangamati saw long voter queues at various centers from early morning. By midday, 31% of votes were cast at the Shukrachhari Government Primary School center and 42% at the Hajachhari center. By 6:00 pm, a total of 54.07% votes were cast in Rangamati’s 10 upazilas, excluding postal ballots, as reported by the district returning officer’s office.
Rangamati Superintendent of Police Muhammad Abdur Rakib noted that voting concluded peacefully across the district, with only a few isolated cases of alleged fake voting. In Khagrachhari, voting proceeded smoothly at 203 centers, with a notable high turnout at polling stations in various upazilas. Female voter participation was also significant. District Election Officer Md SM Shahadat Hossain confirmed that nearly 60% of the district’s 554,414 registered voters exercised their voting rights.
To ensure security, various law enforcement agencies were deployed in all three districts, including members of the BGB, police, Rab, Ansar, and VDP. Additional security measures were implemented at vulnerable centers. The administration ensured timely presence of necessary materials and officials at all polling stations.
[Contributions to this report were made by our correspondents in Bandarban, Rangamati, and Khagrachhari.]