Voting began on Thursday in Bangladesh's parliamentary elections, the first since Sheikh Hasina's ouster in 2024. With the Awami League banned, the contest pits the BNP-led coalition against the Jamaat-e-Islami alliance. Nearly 127 million voters will also decide on constitutional reforms in the July Charter referendum.
Bangladesh's parliamentary elections and referendum on the July Charter began on February 12, 2026, in a vote that could redefine the nation's political future. Polling ran from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in 299 of 300 constituencies, with one cancelled due to a candidate's death. The Election Commission deployed nearly one million security personnel, the largest in the country's electoral history.
This election follows the August 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government amid student and political protests, ending an 18-month transition under interim leader Muhammad Yunus, after which the Awami League was banned. Yunus urged voters to make the day the 'birthday of a new Bangladesh.'
The main contenders are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), with chairman Tarique Rahman contesting from Dhaka-17, and Jamaat-e-Islami, led by Ameer Shafiqur Rahman from Dhaka-15. National Citizen Party's Nasiruddin Patowary challenges BNP's Mirza Abbas in Dhaka-8. A total of 1,755 candidates from 50 parties and 273 independents are running, including 83 women.
The BNP accused Jamaat of sabotaging the polls with money power after a Jamaat leader was caught with nearly Taka 74 lakh. Jamaat called it a 'staged drama.' Violence erupted overnight in Awami League stronghold Gopalganj, with at least ten cocktail explosives hurled during clashes. Both BNP and Jamaat have accused the Awami League of rigging the 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections.
Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman, hosting diplomats for lunch, described ties with India as 'colourful' and a priority, adding, 'There are no minorities. They are all Bangladeshis... first-class citizens.' The BNP manifesto emphasizes 'Bangladesh Before All' and 'Friend Yes, Master No,' while Jamaat pledges constructive relations with neighbors including India.
