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At least eleven people have been killed in clashes in Bangladesh as the country votes in a general election.
The build-up to the poll has already been marred by violence and accusations of a crackdown against the opposition.
The authorities ordered the shut-down of high speed internet until after the vote to prevent the spread of "rumours" that might spark unrest.
The current PM, Sheikh Hasina, is tipped to win a third straight term. Her main rival is in jail.
Minutes before polls opened, a reporter saw filled ballot boxes at a polling centre in the port city of Chittagong. The presiding officer declined to comment.
Only ruling party polling agents were present at that and several other polling centres in the second largest city of the country.
More than 100 million people are eligible to vote but reports suggest turnout has been low.
Some 600,000 security personnel have been deployed to quell unrest.
Bangladeshi protestors burn election material at a polling station in the northern town of Bogra on Jan. 5, 2014. Protestors firebombed polling stations and attacked police as Bangladesh went ahead with a violence-plagued election boycotted by the opposition. Photo: Collected
Why is this election important?
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation of more than 160 million people and faces issues ranging from possibly devastating climate change, Islamist militancy, endemic poverty and corruption.
The country has recently been in the international spotlight as hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled there from neighbouring Myanmar.
The lead-up to the election saw violence between rival supporters and a crackdown on dissent by a government that critics say has only grown more authoritarian during its 10 years in power.
Activists, observers and the opposition party warned that the vote would not be fair. The governing party has accused the opposition of peddling false claims.
PM Hasina said on Friday: "On one hand, they are placing allegations, on the other hand, they are attacking our party workers, leaders. That is the tragedy in this country. They are not getting people's support."
Who are the contenders?
Sheikh Hasina's Awami League (AL) has run Bangladesh since 2009.
Her long-term rival, Khaleda Zia, was sent to prison on corruption charges earlier this year and barred from competing in the polls, in a case which she claimed was politically motivated.
Khaleda Zia is currently serving 17 years for two corruption convictions. Photo: EPA
In Zia's absence, former AL minister and Hasina ally Kamal Hossain leads the main opposition grouping, the Jatiya Oikya Front, which includes her Bangladesh National Party (BNP).
However, the 81-year-old lawyer, who drew up the country's constitution, is not standing in the election, raising questions as to who would take power should the opposition win.
Law enforcement officials are seen carrying voting materials including ballot boxes ahead of 11th general election which will be held on December 30 in Dhaka, Bangladesh December 29, 2018. Reuters
Visible disparity on the ground
Schools and colleges across Bangladesh have been turned into polling booths for the day. Even before the election opened at 8:00am local time, people had begun to line up to cast their vote.
Although there was a large number of men, few women were seen coming out, at least in the first few hours.
Reuters photo
There were also a lot of volunteers from the ruling Awami League party at the booth, wearing white caps with the local candidate's face on it. I couldn't see any supporters of the opposition parties.
This disparity is visible on the streets of Dhaka as well, which are lined with rows and rows of posters of ruling party candidates. It's very hard to spot any campaign material from the opposition.
On the last day of canvassing, while there were big street marches held by supporters of Awami League, there was very little happening on the opposition side, just a few, small door to door campaigns.
They say this is because they weren't allowed to hold big political rallies, at least in the city of Dhaka. They've accused the election commission of bias, and say the police have been arbitrarily arresting and detaining opposition party members and supporters, reports BBC.
When asked Prime Minister Hasina about these allegations, she said they were not true.