DHAKA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The voters turnout rate in Bangladesh's ninth parliamentary election on Monday was approximately 80 to 90 percent, which is a new record, a senior official said.

    Secretary of Bangladesh's Election Commission Humayun Kabir told Xinhua early on Tuesday that the turnout rate this time is the highest in history while it was 75 percent in 2001 parliamentary elections.

    Bangladesh's ninth parliamentary election was held on Monday after two years' delay. The number of the voters are over 81 million out of the total population of 147 million.

    Candidates of 39 registered political parties as well as independent ones were contesting for the 299 seats out of total 300. The polls for the other seat will be held on Jan. 12 next year as one candidate died earlier this month.