A commentary by journalist Elahi Newaz Khan reviews Bangladesh’s long and turbulent electoral history ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election scheduled for February 12, 2026. The article notes that this election will take place without the participation of the Awami League, which is currently barred from political activity due to crimes against humanity. The author observes that the public is waiting to see how meaningful this election will be in the absence of the country’s dominant political force.

The piece traces key turning points in Bangladesh’s political evolution, from the 1946 provincial election through the 1970 vote that led to independence, and subsequent decades marked by authoritarianism, electoral manipulation, and shifting alliances. It argues that both military and civilian rulers have repeatedly undermined democratic institutions through fraud, repression, and political exclusion.

The author concludes that the current political landscape remains fragile. Rival opposition groups, once united against the Awami League, are now competing among themselves, a division that could weaken their collective strength and potentially allow the Awami League to re-emerge in future politics.