Dhaka: Voting has begun in Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections, a pivotal moment in the country’s political history. The polls come 18 months after the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina ended in the wake of student-led protests in July 2024, which ushered in an interim government under Muhammad Yunus. With the Awami League dissolved and barred from contesting, this marks the first national election in decades without its participation.
The main contest is now between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, leading an 11-party coalition. Opinion polls show the BNP as the frontrunner, with party leader Tarique Rahman seeking a political comeback after years in exile. Nearly 127 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots across 299 constituencies, while a parallel referendum on an 84-point reform charter is also taking place.
Security is tight, with close to one million personnel deployed and over half of polling centres designated as high-risk. For the first time, expatriate Bangladeshis can vote via an IT-based postal ballot system. Authorities are using drones, body cameras, and CCTV networks to monitor the process.
With hopes for change balanced against concerns over stability, the 2026 elections are being closely watched as a defining moment for Bangladesh’s democratic future.
