Bangladesh Election 2026: Voting Begins Amid Tight Security To Decide Future

Dhaka: Voters in Bangladesh have began casting their ballots in a landmark general election that could redefine its political future after months of upheaval.

Why is election important?

The elections, 18 months after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year-old regime collapsed amid massive nationwide protests, is seen as a test of whether the country can stabilise its democracy after years of turbulence. 

Sheikh Hasina subsequently fled the country, and her party has been banned from participating in the election.

An interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, took charge since and the period has been marked with protests and violence against minorities. 

How many people will vote?

About 127 million Bangladeshi are eligible to vote, with heightened security deployed at tens of thousands of polling stations nationwide. 

Voting for the 13th national elections began at 7:30 am and will teak place across 299 parliamentary constituencies till 4:30 pm. Counting of votes will begin immediately after voting ends, and results are expected on Friday.

#WATCH | Bangladesh: Long queues of voters witnessed at a polling centre at the Gulshan Model School and College in Dhaka, as they await their turn to cast a vote.

Voting for the 13th Parliamentary elections begins. Parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by… pic.twitter.com/j8HHYzF9pr

— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2026

Nearly 8 lakh expatriate Bangladeshis registered with the Election Commission, for the first time, are eligible to cast their votes through an IT-enabled postal ballot system.

Why did Sheikh Hasina's son calls for election boycott?

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed, has criticised the elections as illegitimate and called on voters to boycott the polls. 

What Muhammad Yunus said ahead of polls?

Muhammad Yunus, head of an interim government before the polls said that,  "This election is not just another routine vote. The public awakening we witnessed against long‑standing anger, inequality, deprivation and injustice finds its constitutional expression in this election." 

Who are facing the heat?

With the Awami League excluded, the election has effectively become a contest between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and an Islamist-led alliance spearheaded by Jamaat-e-Islami. 

Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, returned home from 17 years in exile as the main contender to be next prime minister of Bangladesh.