 Voting has ended in Bangladesh's 9th Parliamentary election and the process was declared peaceful.
Observers report a festive atmosphere at the more than 35-thousand polling centers across the country, with long queue of voters.
Authorities deployed 650-thousand soldiers and police across the country to prevent violence and vote fraud, with more than 81 million people eligible to vote.
Shafiqul Islam is a voter.
"I am overjoyed at being able to vote after a two year delay, and I want to see everyone vote for honest candidates so that there is no more corruption in Bangladesh."
But both of the leading candidates - former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina - are facing corruption charges, and many fear the election won't bring the reform it needs.
The two have traded power back and forth over 15 years in successive governments marked by corruption, mismanagement and paralyzing protests.
There had been concerns that the polls would degenerate into violence. The most recent attempt in 2007 was preceded by weeks of deadly rioting between the Zia and Hasina's rival parties, prompting the military to cancel the election and declare emergency rule.
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