Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed, Orchid Chakma, Prabir Das, Amran Hossain, Sk Enamul Haq

A presiding officer brings out the ballot papers for a voter who uses a wheelchair at Dania College centre in the capital's Jatrabari. Many people with disabilities faced difficulties casting votes as most of the centres were not disabled-friendly.

A police team outside a voting centre in Narayanganj.

Shamim Osman, AL's candidate for Narayanganj-4, sips a cup of tea while exchanging greetings with voters outside a polling centre in Dharmaganj area.

Two first-time voters show off their ink covered thumbs after voting at Avoy Bonodini High School in the capital's Rajarbagh.

Urdu-speaking voters make their way to a voting centre at Dhaka Residential Model College in the capital.

A crowd gathers outside the polling centre at Madhubagh Madrasa in the capital after the Awami League men shut the gate and refused to let anyone in.

Voters checking their phones for their voter numbers at Ali Ahmed Majumder School and College in Dhaka's Goran. Many were turned away after failing to find the number.

The United Kingdom has urged the Bangladesh authorities for a full, credible and transparent resolution of all complaints related to the conduct of the December 30 general elections.

“While I welcome the participation of all opposition parties in these elections, I am aware of credible accounts of obstacles, including arrests, that constrained or prevented campaigning by opposition parties, and of irregularities in the conduct of elections on polling day that prevented some people from voting,” said British Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field.

He came up with the comments in a press statement yesterday following the announcement of the unofficial results for the 11th Parliamentary Elections in Bangladesh.

“I deplore the acts of intimidation and unlawful violence that have taken place during the campaign period, and am deeply concerned by the incidents that led to so many deaths on polling day. My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones,” the British minister said in the statement.

Terming free, fair, peaceful, and participatory elections essential to any functioning democracy, Minister Field said, “It is vital for the government and all political parties to now work together to address differences and find a way forward in line with the interests of the people of Bangladesh”.

Mentioning that the UK has a broad and important partnership with Bangladesh, and a significant Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK, Mark Field added, “We will continue to support the people of Bangladesh in their aspirations for a more stable, prosperous, and democratic future”.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) yesterday detained three Indian nationals in the border area of ​​Rowmari upazila in Kurigram, on charge of trespassing into Bangladesh territory.

They were detained from Kawniarchar Bandar sub-pillar 4 of International Boundary Pillar No. 1055 at Dantbhanga border in the upazila yesterday afternoon, our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports.

Detainees Selim Mia (21), Jahangir Alam (20) and Mahalam Sheikh (20) are residents of Hat Shingimari in Mankachar district of Assam.

BGB's Jamalpur 35 Battalion Commanding Officer Lt Col SM Azad confirmed the matter and said the three Indian nationals entered Bangladesh illegally for the purpose of trading cattle.

On suspicion, the BGB patrol team detained them and a case was filed by the BGB in this regard, he added.

The detainees were handed over to Rowmari Police Station, he said.

Rowmari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abu Md Dilwar Hasan Inam said BGB had filed a case against three Indian nationals under the Border Violations Act.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested a suspected female smuggler with 57 gold bars weighing 9.2 kilograms in Jashore's Benapole last night.

The arrestee was identified as Banechha Khatun (35), wife of Dukhu Miah of Sadipur village under Benapole Police Station, said Lt Col Selim Reza, commanding officer of 49 BGB Battalion.

A BGB team launched a drive at the house of Dukhu Miah at Sadipur border around midnight after receiving secret information that a huge amount of gold was being smuggled to India from Bangladesh, said the BGB official.

During the drive, the BGB members arrested Banechha along with the gold worth Tk 6.25 crore, said the commanding officer.

During a primary interrogation, Banechha confessed to the BGB officials that she and her husband had been smuggling gold to India for long. They were paid Tk 3,000 per gold bar for this job.

However, BGB is trying to arrest the owner of the sized gold bars, our Benapole correspondent reports, quoting BGB officials.

The arrested Banechha was handed over to Benapole Police Station this morning after a case was filed against her with the police station in this connection, according to BGB.