Sunday, 08 February, 2026
Bangladesh stands at a historic crossroads as the nation prepares to head to the polls on 12 February 2026.
But the air is thick with anticipation, anxiety, and the pulse of a country awakening to its own political power. Rivalries run deep, stakes have never been higher, and every ballot carries the potential to reshape the nation’s future. Many see this election as one of surprises—and decisive outcomes that could define Bangladesh for decades.
As campaigning enters its final stretch, voters are caught between certainty and shock. Door-to-door canvassing by the main contenders—the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JIB), and the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP)—has electrified the streets, yet anxieties linger. Will this historic election finally be held peacefully?
For many, the fear is rooted in memory. “Those burned once learn to fear even the colour of fire,” a sentiment echoed across Dhaka and provincial towns. Under the 17-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, dissent was suppressed, elections were tightly controlled, and freedom of choice curtailed. The scars of the past feed present caution, particularly among the young voters casting their ballots for the first time.
Despite occasional flare-ups, authorities insist the vote will be credible. Less than a week before polling, police seized firearms in Dhaka and Faridpur, highlighting risks of violence—but officials describe them as isolated incidents. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus praised the campaign’s atmosphere as “enthusiastic, peaceful, and cordial,” while Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud assured that 1.8 million officials and security personnel, including army, police, BGB and Ansar-VDP, are deployed to safeguard a free and fair election.
Yet the shadow of unrest remains. Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury warned that nearly half of the polling centres could face security challenges. Since the election schedule was announced, 274 violent incidents—including five killings, attacks on candidates, intimidation, and campaign obstructions—have been reported nationwide. Transparency International Bangladesh has recorded 15 political activist deaths in just over a month, underscoring that caution is not paranoia but a response to lived experience.
This election carries historic weight. It is the first parliamentary vote since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in 2024, following a student-led uprising that toppled her autocratic regime. It is paired with a referendum on the July National Charter 2025, a blueprint for governance reform, judicial independence, term limits for prime ministers, and expanded representation for women. Approximately 127 million voters are eligible to elect 350 members of the Jatiya Sangsad.
The political battlefield is sharply defined. Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, leads the BNP, the country’s historic centre-right party founded by his father Ziaur Rahman in 1978. With a platform of national unity and inclusion, Tarique returned from London in December 2025, vowing to “build a Bangladesh that a mother dreams of,” and appealing across religious and regional lines.
Jamaat-e-Islami, now led by Shafiqur Rahman, has emerged from the shadows, promising anti-corruption measures, a mafia-free society, and governance under Sharia law. In a symbolic step, the party is fielding its first Hindu candidate, Krishna Nandi, seeking to expand its appeal beyond conservative voters. Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student leaders of the 2024 uprising, seeks to transform street-level protest momentum into parliamentary influence, though limited organisation and resources leave it trailing behind its rivals.
The stakes could not be higher: a restoration of democracy, economic stability, judicial reform, press freedom, and the delicate balance of foreign relations—all hang in the balance. The student uprising that toppled Hasina strained ties with India while opening space for China to expand influence, adding an international dimension to the vote.
Dhaka, as always, is the focal point—a political bellwether where history, memory, and power collide. The city waits to see whether the BNP will reassert its traditional dominance, whether Jamaat and its allies will break through, or whether a fragile balance will emerge from a city—and a nation—still scarred by years of repression.
As Bangladesh approaches its destiny on 12 February, every street, every ballot box, every vote counts. This is not merely an election; it is a reckoning, a chance to decide whether certainty prevails, or whether the country will once again confront the shock of history in the making.
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Bangladesh stands at a historic crossroads as the nation prepares to head to the polls on 12 February 2026.
But the air is thick with anticipation, anxiety, and the pulse of a country awakening to its own political power. Rivalries run deep, stakes have never been higher, and every ballot carries the potential to reshape the nation’s future. Many see this election as one of surprises—and decisive outcomes that could define Bangladesh for decades.
As campaigning enters its final stretch, voters are caught between certainty and shock. Door-to-door canvassing by the main contenders—the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JIB), and the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP)—has electrified the streets, yet anxieties linger. Will this historic election finally be held peacefully?
For many, the fear is rooted in memory. “Those burned once learn to fear even the colour of fire,” a sentiment echoed across Dhaka and provincial towns. Under the 17-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, dissent was suppressed, elections were tightly controlled, and freedom of choice curtailed. The scars of the past feed present caution, particularly among the young voters casting their ballots for the first time.
Despite occasional flare-ups, authorities insist the vote will be credible. Less than a week before polling, police seized firearms in Dhaka and Faridpur, highlighting risks of violence—but officials describe them as isolated incidents. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus praised the campaign’s atmosphere as “enthusiastic, peaceful, and cordial,” while Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud assured that 1.8 million officials and security personnel, including army, police, BGB and Ansar-VDP, are deployed to safeguard a free and fair election.
Yet the shadow of unrest remains. Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury warned that nearly half of the polling centres could face security challenges. Since the election schedule was announced, 274 violent incidents—including five killings, attacks on candidates, intimidation, and campaign obstructions—have been reported nationwide. Transparency International Bangladesh has recorded 15 political activist deaths in just over a month, underscoring that caution is not paranoia but a response to lived experience.
This election carries historic weight. It is the first parliamentary vote since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in 2024, following a student-led uprising that toppled her autocratic regime. It is paired with a referendum on the July National Charter 2025, a blueprint for governance reform, judicial independence, term limits for prime ministers, and expanded representation for women. Approximately 127 million voters are eligible to elect 350 members of the Jatiya Sangsad.
The political battlefield is sharply defined. Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, leads the BNP, the country’s historic centre-right party founded by his father Ziaur Rahman in 1978. With a platform of national unity and inclusion, Tarique returned from London in December 2025, vowing to “build a Bangladesh that a mother dreams of,” and appealing across religious and regional lines.
Jamaat-e-Islami, now led by Shafiqur Rahman, has emerged from the shadows, promising anti-corruption measures, a mafia-free society, and governance under Sharia law. In a symbolic step, the party is fielding its first Hindu candidate, Krishna Nandi, seeking to expand its appeal beyond conservative voters. Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student leaders of the 2024 uprising, seeks to transform street-level protest momentum into parliamentary influence, though limited organisation and resources leave it trailing behind its rivals.
The stakes could not be higher: a restoration of democracy, economic stability, judicial reform, press freedom, and the delicate balance of foreign relations—all hang in the balance. The student uprising that toppled Hasina strained ties with India while opening space for China to expand influence, adding an international dimension to the vote.
Dhaka, as always, is the focal point—a political bellwether where history, memory, and power collide. The city waits to see whether the BNP will reassert its traditional dominance, whether Jamaat and its allies will break through, or whether a fragile balance will emerge from a city—and a nation—still scarred by years of repression.
As Bangladesh approaches its destiny on 12 February, every street, every ballot box, every vote counts. This is not merely an election; it is a reckoning, a chance to decide whether certainty prevails, or whether the country will once again confront the shock of history in the making.
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