Bangladesh is set to hold national elections on February 12, the first since student-led protests in 2024 forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country following a violent crackdown on demonstrators. More than 127 million citizens are eligible to vote, and for the first time, about 15 million expatriates will be able to cast postal ballots. The caretaker government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is overseeing the polls amid concerns about potential unrest.
The Awami League, Hasina’s former ruling party, has been banned as its leader and senior officials face criminal trials for their roles in the 2024 crackdown. Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia for ordering the killing of protesters, but India, where she has taken refuge, has not agreed to extradite her. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami are the main contenders, each leading multi-party coalitions. A total of 1,981 candidates are competing for 350 parliamentary seats.
Bangladesh’s elections have historically been marred by boycotts, violence, and allegations of rigging. The upcoming vote is being described as the country’s largest democratic exercise of the year.
Share Bangladesh is heading to the polls for the first time since student-led protests dramatically ousted its longtime leader, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, amid a brutal crackdown on demonstrators, and forced her to flee the country in 2024.
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