Dhaka, Feb. 12 -- Voting in Bangladesh's national election concluded on Thursday in a largely peaceful atmosphere, with high hopes of restoring genuine democracy and securing a strong mandate for national reforms.

The polling began at 7:30am and continued until 4:30pm without interruption at 42,659 polling stations in 299 out of 300 constituencies, amid the deployment of nearly one million security personnel and another one million polling staff.

Alongside the parliamentary election, voters also participated in a referendum to express their views through 'Yes' or 'No' votes on proposals for several constitutional amendments.

In the capital, voters began arriving at polling centres early in the morning. As the day progressed, voter pres...