Bangladesh Polls Rocked by Bomb Blasts: Blood, Ballots and Army Boots on Election Day

Ballots under blast: 3 injured in gopalganj polling centre explosion

Gopalganj/Munshiganj — Bangladesh’s high-stakes parliamentary elections were jolted by violence on Thursday morning as a crude bomb exploded inside a polling centre in Gopalganj — a symbolic stronghold of the now-suspended Awami League — leaving three people injured and voters shaken but defiant. The blast ripped through the Reshma International School polling station in Nichupara around 9:00 AM, injuring two Ansar personnel, Sukanta Majumdar and Jamal Molla, along with a 13-year-old girl, Amena Khanum. Yet in a dramatic show of resilience, election officials refused to suspend voting. Presiding Officer Zahirul Islam confirmed that ballots continued to be cast, with more than 190 votes recorded within just two hours of the explosion — a stark message that fear would not silence the electorate.

Barely an hour later, tensions flared again in Munshiganj Sadar, where another crude bomb blast and a fierce “chase and counter-chase” between rival political supporters turned the Makhati Gurucharan High School polling station into a flashpoint. The clash, reportedly between backers of two competing candidates, forced authorities to escalate security measures. The Bangladesh Army was swiftly deployed to restore order, operating under a nationwide mandate to act in “aid to civil power” throughout the election period. The sight of soldiers securing ballot lines underscored the volatility surrounding one of the most consequential elections in the country’s recent history.

Barely an hour later, tensions flared again in Munshiganj Sadar, where another crude bomb blast and a fierce “chase and counter-chase” between rival political supporters turned the Makhati Gurucharan High School polling station into a flashpoint. The clash, reportedly between backers of two competing candidates, forced authorities to escalate security measures. The Bangladesh Army was swiftly deployed to restore order, operating under a nationwide mandate to act in “aid to civil power” throughout the election period. The sight of soldiers securing ballot lines underscored the volatility surrounding one of the most consequential elections in the country’s recent history.

Nationally, voters turned out in significant numbers despite the turbulence, with the Election Commission reporting approximately 32.88% turnout by noon. The political battlefield has dramatically shifted this year, with the Awami League sidelined and the contest narrowing to a fierce showdown between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, and a coalition anchored by Jamaat-e-Islami. Adding further weight to the day, citizens are also voting in a constitutional referendum on the controversial “July Charter,” a reform blueprint pitched as a safeguard against future authoritarian rule.

As explosions echo and army patrols tighten security, Bangladesh’s democracy faces a defining test — one where ballots are being cast under the shadow of bombs, and voters are choosing not only leaders, but the direction of the nation’s political future.