Dhaka, Feb. 12 -- Abdul Quader Bepari came to his polling centre, leaning heavily on a walking stick.

"All the friends I had who are my age have died. But I'm still sitting here. I am 86 years old. This is my last vote. I won't be able to vote again. My son brought me. I voted," he said.

Asked about his hopes for the election, he said: "I don't want any more unrest or violence. I am casting a vote at the end of my life. Let Allah bring peace to our country. That is what I want."

Labanya Chowdhury, who came to cast her first-ever vote, hopes for the same thing.

"This is my first ever vote," she said. "I became a voter in 2024. My mother told me not to vote. But I have come this time. The only thing I want is for there to be no more unr...