Bangladesh’s Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin on Thursday announced that the country’s 13th national parliamentary election will be held on February 12, alongside a national referendum. The announcement, made in a televised address, marks the formal start of the election process for all 300 constituencies. Shortly after the schedule was declared, Reuters published an interview with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, in which he expressed his intention to step down following the February election. Shahabuddin, who became Bangladesh’s 22nd president in April 2023 during the Awami League government, said he wishes to leave office but will continue to serve until a new government is formed, as required by the constitution. Shahabuddin’s statement comes amid a transitional political period following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. His potential resignation could open the way for a new political alignment once the election concludes, signaling a possible shift in Bangladesh’s post-crisis governance landscape.