Sharif M Shafique

A long-standing, unwritten equation has shaped Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections -- the party that secures a majority in the capital usually finds its path to forming the government.

Meem Hazera, 45, the lone hijra/ third gender voter from Kumarbarila village under Dhaka’s Nawabganj upazila, is eagerly waiting to cast a vote in the national election today, like everyone else.

Kona and Jannat were strolling through the Banani DNCC Market when they suddenly found themselves amid an election campaign procession.

On the morning of February 9, a large crowd gathered near the Mirpur-1 Eidgah field.

As the election date draws closer, a festive political mood has taken hold of the Dhaka-6 constituency.

Sinthia Akter runs a beauty parlour in Rahmatpur, Jinjira, along the banks of the Buriganga river. She has lived in the area since childhood.

Md Abul Kalam, a resident of the BSCIC area in Rohitpur, Keraniganj, is waiting for the election with cautious hope.

In Hasnabad village of Bandura in Nawabganj, Teresa Hilda Gomes and her family live beside the Holy Rosary Church. Though interested in the upcoming election, she has yet to meet any candidate and has seen little campaigning in her area.