The elections to Dhaka North and South city corporations have begun with the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The voting began at 8am and it will continue till 4pm without any break.
The Election Commission (EC) has already completed all preparations. Election materials are being sent to 2,468 polling centres since morning. Returning officers of Dhaka north and south Md Abul Kashem and Md Abdul Baten have been monitoring the activities.
A peaceful atmosphere is prevailing for the polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda told the media on Friday (Jan 31).
The CEC urged the voters to go to polling centres without any fear to exercise their franchise.
The commission has taken adequate measures to ensure security for voters, officers and employees involved with the polls and the polling agents, Senior Secretary of EC Secretariat Md Alamgir was quoted by BSS as saying on Friday.
Earlier, electioneering for the Dhaka city polls ended at 12 midnight on Jan 30 in line with the electoral rules.
Marking the polls, motorcycle movement has already been stopped since Jan 30 midnight and the bar will stay till 6am on Feb 2 while all kinds of vehicular movement will remain stopped from midnight on Jan 31 to 6 pm Feb 1.
Besides, plying of water vessels will also remain stopped from Jan 31 midnight to Feb 1 midnight.
Around 50,000 members of law enforcement agencies have been deployed in the two city corporations to ensure security.
Members of police and Ansar have been deployed to ensure security at polling centres while BGB, RAB and river police will ensure security in the election areas.
As per the directives of the EC, respective forces have deployed their members at specific places.
A total of 129 executive magistrates and 64 judicial magistrates have also been deployed in the two city corporations. Fifty-four executive magistrates will stay in the election field in Dhaka north and 75 more in Dhaka south from today to February 2.
A total of 1,013 local observers of 22 institutions and 74 foreign observers will monitor the polls.
A total of 13 mayoral candidates are vying in the Dhaka north and south city corporations while around 7500 candidates are contesting for councillor posts in the two city corporations.
In Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), there are 3,010,273 voters. Of the voters, 15,49,567 are male and 14,60,706 are female. DNCC has 1,318 polling centres while there are 54 general and 18 reserved (women) wards in the city corporation.
In DSCC, there are 1,150 polling centers for 2,453,194 voters. Of them, 1,293,441 are male and 11 lakh 59 thousand 753 are female. DSCC has 1,150 polling centres while it has 75 general and 25 reserved wards.