Awami League believes in democracy and has faith in the people, the party's president Sheikh Hasina said yesterday morning, after casting her vote. “We will accept whatever decision the people will make.”

HT Imam, co-chairman of the Awami League polls steering committee, yesterday said this election has proved that a free, fair and neutral one is possible under a partisan government.

It was 2:42pm when these correspondents entered a voting booth at Lalbagh Government Primary School in Natore sadar. A voter named Mobarak Hossain, 35, told the polling official his serial number -- 169 -- and his name.

After visiting several polling centres in Dhaka, a team of foreign and local election observers find voting are taking place smoothly and peacefully.

International media widely covered yesterday's national election that saw deadly clashes and accusations of vote rigging.

Snapshots of Polls Day

In the face of allegations that agents of BNP were hardly visible in polling centres across the country, the chief election commissioner (CEC) has claimed that they were not seen because they did not show up in the first place.

Jatiya Oikyafront yesterday demanded the Election Commission immediately scrap the “farcical election” and hold a fresh one under a nonpartisan interim government.

Of Queues and Chaos

What they said

Around noon yesterday, Salma Islam was wiping away tears while her husband and campaign manager Nurul Islam Babul announced they were boycotting the election.

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has led her party to a third consecutive win in parliamentary polls, securing two-thirds majority in yesterday's election held in an atmosphere dominated by the ruling party men.

At least three journalists, including a photojournalist of this paper, were assaulted during parliamentary polls in Dhaka and Chattogram yesterday, while a number of journalists covering polls for this paper faced obstructions from activists of political parties and law enforcers in the capital.

It was something hardly seen ever in any election in the country -- finding trace of the key opposition party was a real challenge, except for in its electoral symbol on ballot papers.

The Election Commission touted the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) as a foolproof alternative to the traditional method of ballot paper, but that too fell prey to sweeping abuse yesterday.

Election violence claimed at least 18 lives yesterday, making it one of the deadliest polls in the country. More than 200 others were injured in clashes between rival Awami League and BNP supporters in 24 districts.

It was around 3:50pm when Sirajus Salekin went to a polling centre at University Laboratory School and College on Dhaka University campus yesterday to cast his vote.

The foreign ministry has described the joint statement of ANFREL-affiliated organisations, issued on Saturday, as "premature" and criticised it for comments based on "misinformation and premeditated assumptions".

Polling agents of BNP-led alliance candidates were barred from entering the voting centres and BNP supporters were driven out from the area in all 16 constituencies in Chattogram during yesterday's election.

Rejecting the 11th parliamentary election, several leftist political parties yesterday demanded a “re-election” under a “non-partisan caretaker government” as early as possible.