Mufti Syed Mohammad Faizul Karim, candidate of the Islami Andolan Bangladesh with the 'Hath Pakha' symbol, cast his vote at Rupatali Government Secondary School polling centre in the city's Rupatali area. Photo: BSS

BARISHAL, Feb 12, 2026 (BSS) - Voting for the 13th national parliamentary election and referendum began peacefully across Barishal district at 7:30 am, with large numbers of voters lining up at polling stations from early morning.

Election officials reported a calm and orderly atmosphere as voters-both men and women-formed long queues to cast their ballots. Many voters expressed satisfaction at being able to participate in the election in a peaceful environment.

At 8:00 am, Mufti Syed Mohammad Faizul Karim, candidate of the Islami Andolan Bangladesh with the 'Hath Pakha' symbol, cast his vote at Rupatali Government Secondary School polling centre in the city's Rupatali area.

Speaking to reporters after voting, Faizul Karim called on the administration to ensure that people can vote without fear or intimidation. "There should be no engineering where the people will vote," he said, adding that while the voting environment appeared good, it would be difficult to comment further until the results are announced.

To maintain law and order and ensure a smooth and fair election, authorities have deployed a large number of police, Ansar, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel across the district. Additional security measures have been taken at polling centres identified as high-risk.

A total of 36 candidates are contesting in the six parliamentary constituencies of Barishal district. The district has 2,284,978 registered voters, including 1,136,467 male voters and 1,119,093 female voters.

There are 833 polling stations across the six constituencies. In Barishal Sadar, which comprises five constituencies, there are 176 polling stations serving 513,003 voters-250,677 male and 250,617 female.

Election officials expressed hope that voting would continue peacefully throughout the day.