Nahid Islam, a 27-year-old former student leader who helped lead Bangladesh’s 2024 youth uprising, is contesting the February 12 election as head of the National Citizen Party (NCP). The NCP emerged from the anti-Hasina protests that toppled the previous government and now seeks to position itself as a centrist alternative to the country’s entrenched political dynasties. However, its decision to join an 11-party alliance dominated by Jamaat-e-Islami has divided supporters and raised questions about whether the movement’s reformist spirit can survive electoral compromise.

The alliance grants Jamaat 222 of 300 constituencies, while the NCP fields 30 candidates, including Islam in Dhaka-11. Islam defends the partnership as a pragmatic electoral arrangement to overcome the NCP’s organizational weakness, arguing it broadens the coalition beyond Islamist politics. Critics, including academics and activists, counter that the deal risks co-opting the NCP and lending Jamaat undue legitimacy, especially given its controversial stance on women’s and minority rights. Surveys suggest a close race between the BNP and the Jamaat-led bloc, with the NCP holding a small but potentially decisive share of votes.

Analysts say the NCP’s future hinges on whether it can maintain independence after the election or become absorbed by its larger ally.

Bangladesh is holding its first national election since the 2024 uprising that led to the removal of former leader Sheikh Hasina. The vote marks a significant political moment for the country as citizens return to the polls following the upheaval that reshaped its leadership.

The election follows a period of political transition triggered by the 2024 uprising, which ended Hasina’s rule. It represents an important test of stability and governance in the post-uprising era, as Bangladesh seeks to establish a new political direction after the leadership change.

The outcome of this election is expected to determine the country’s next phase of governance and could influence how Bangladesh rebuilds its institutions after the 2024 political turmoil.

Nahid Islam, a 27-year-old former student leader who rose to prominence during Bangladesh’s 2024 anti-quota protests, is contesting the February 12 national election as head of the National Citizen Party (NCP). The NCP emerged from the youth-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government and briefly saw Islam serve as an adviser in Muhammad Yunus’s interim cabinet. The party, positioning itself as a centrist alternative, now faces scrutiny for joining an alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, a group still controversial for its stance during the 1971 war.

The alliance has caused internal divisions within the NCP, with several liberal and female leaders resigning, accusing the party of abandoning its founding ideals. Islam defends the partnership as a pragmatic electoral move, citing shared goals of reform and anti-corruption. Under the deal, NCP will contest 30 of 300 seats, while Jamaat fields 222. Polls suggest a tight race between the BNP and the Jamaat-led bloc, with smaller parties like NCP potentially playing a decisive role.

Analysts note that the election will test whether the NCP’s revolutionary appeal can survive electoral realities and whether its alliance strengthens or undermines its identity.

A local BNP leader named Jasim Uddin, 45, was seriously injured in an alleged attack in Channandi Union of Hatiya upazila, Noakhali, on Wednesday night. According to the victim, supporters of Abdul Hannan Masud, the candidate of the 11-party alliance, carried out the assault at Shiuli Ekram Bazar. Police said Jasim, a former organizational secretary of ward no. 3 BNP, was rescued by naval patrol members and sent to the district hospital for treatment.

BNP sources claimed that the attack was led by NCP leader Didar Hossain and his associates, who used sharp weapons. Hatiya BNP’s election chief, Sif Mohammad Alauddin, accused Masud’s supporters of trying to disrupt the election environment and intimidate voters ahead of the upcoming national polls. He alleged that such violence was an attempt to halt the growing support for the BNP symbol.

Police and naval forces visited the scene, and the situation was later reported as stable. The Hatiya police officer-in-charge stated that legal action would follow after investigation.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard detained a local BNP volunteer leader in Patuakhali’s Kalapara upazila on Wednesday night, February 11, with Tk 5 million in cash. The arrest took place near Khepupara Girls’ Secondary School around 10 p.m. The detainee, Md Kajol Mridha, is the joint convener of the Kalapara municipal unit of the BNP’s volunteer wing and a member of the election management committee for the BNP candidate in Patuakhali-4 constituency, ABM Mosharraf Hossain.

According to Coast Guard sources, the recovered money was allegedly being distributed to influence voters. Legal procedures are underway following the seizure. Officials present at the scene included the assistant commissioner (land) Yasin Sadiq, a senior judicial magistrate’s representative, NSI personnel, the officer-in-charge of Kalapara police station, and members of the Detective Branch. Attempts to contact the BNP candidate by phone were unsuccessful as his number was found switched off.

Kalapara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kawsar Hamid stated that the operation was conducted based on a tip-off, and the cash was recovered in the presence of Executive Magistrate Md Mahidul Hasan.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused Jamaat-e-Islami of engaging in widespread violence, vote center occupation, vote rigging, and illegal money distribution ahead of the national election. At a press conference held Wednesday night at the BNP Election Steering Committee office in Gulshan, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan described these actions as deeply disappointing and urged party members and citizens to guard polling centers and ensure fair voting.

Nazrul Islam Khan presented multiple incidents from across the country, including arrests of Jamaat leaders with large sums of money, allegations of bribing voters, attempts to seize polling stations, and acts of intimidation and violence. He emphasized BNP’s demand for a free, fair, and neutral election and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to restoring democratic rights and implementing its declared political pledges.

BNP spokesperson Mahdi Amin added that despite reports of misconduct, public enthusiasm for voting remains high, expressing confidence in BNP’s victory and calling for continued vigilance against electoral irregularities.

On the eve of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election, the administration in Chattogram-4 (Sitakunda) constituency has completed all preparations for voting. Ballot boxes and papers have been delivered to 124 polling centers under the security of joint forces comprising the army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police. Patrols have been intensified to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful election, supported by multi-layered security and technology-based monitoring.

Each polling center has been equipped with CCTV cameras connected to a live monitoring system at the Sitakunda Upazila Parishad building, where a 100-inch screen displays real-time footage from 64 cameras. The Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Assistant Returning Officer Fakhrul Islam will oversee the monitoring, supported by two judicial magistrates and five executive magistrates to maintain law and order. A special stage has been set up at the Upazila auditorium for rapid result collection and announcement.

Joint forces remain on high alert around polling centers to ensure voters can cast their ballots safely. The administration reports that all logistical, technical, and security arrangements are finalized, awaiting voter participation to determine the constituency’s next representative.

In Chatmohar upazila of Pabna, the presiding officer of Ashraf Jindami High School polling center was withdrawn after several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders entered the center late at night. The withdrawn officer, Md Ruhul Amin, who also serves as the Chatmohar upazila food inspector, was replaced by the assistant presiding officer following the incident. The visit reportedly took place around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 11, when the Jamaat leaders met Ruhul Amin and handed over necessary agent documents.

The matter became widely known among supporters of other candidates, prompting local concern. Upon being informed, Assistant Returning Officer and Chatmohar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Musa Naser Chowdhury acted on the directive of Pabna Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Shahed Mostafa to remove Ruhul Amin from duty. The replacement was made immediately to maintain election management integrity.

The late-night entry of Jamaat leaders into the polling center has sparked public questions and speculation across the upazila, according to local reports.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has filed 127 complaints against leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing them of buying votes with money, attempting to seize polling centers, casting fake votes, and threatening Hindu voters on the night before the election. The allegations were presented at a press conference held Wednesday night at the BNP’s central election operations office by Nazrul Islam Khan, a member of the party’s standing committee and chairman of its election management committee.

Nazrul Islam Khan said he had expected all participants of the mass movement to remain peaceful and within democratic norms, but described the current situation as regrettable. He also alleged that a particular group was spreading false information to mislead the public. Khan added that all candidates send funds to their polling centers before election day and mentioned that confusion was being spread regarding Tk 1.5 million in center expenses sent by BNP leader Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie in Lakshmipur.

The BNP’s allegations come amid heightened political tension and competing narratives between major parties ahead of the national polls.

Two assistant presiding officers were dismissed in Uzirpur, Barishal, after allegedly leaving a polling center without authorization. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Wednesday at Habibpur Secondary School (Center No. 63). According to local sources, the officers, identified as teachers Md. Obaidul and Ayesha, left the center around 10:30 p.m. without informing the presiding officer. Locals alleged they visited the residence of the upazila Jamaat leader for a secret meeting. They were later detained, and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Ali Suza was informed.

Following the complaint, the administration immediately dismissed both from their posts and appointed two replacements. The accused officers denied the allegation of attending a secret meeting, claiming they had only gone out to eat and that the accusations were false.

UNO Md. Ali Suza stated that leaving the center without the presiding officer’s permission violates election rules. He confirmed that the two were removed for breaching regulations and replaced with new assistant presiding officers.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has called on citizens not to believe or spread rumors, asserting that the triumph of truth is inevitable. He made the statement on Tuesday night through a post on his verified Facebook page, addressing the public directly.

In his message, Shafiqur Rahman warned that a wave of misinformation was circulating and urged everyone to remain cautious. He described the current situation as a period of widespread rumors and advised people to disregard them completely. His post emphasized faith in the eventual victory of truth.

The statement reflects Jamaat-e-Islami’s effort to counter misinformation and maintain public composure amid circulating rumors, though no further details or context were provided in the source.

The presiding officer of the Salimunnesa Girls’ School polling center in Kaliganj, Jhenaidah-4 constituency, was removed after 23 signed result sheets were seized on Wednesday night, February 11. The returning officer and Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Masud confirmed the action, stating that such irresponsible conduct would not be tolerated to ensure a free and fair election. Shamsuzzaman Khan, a lecturer at Kaliganj Shaheed Nur Ali College, was appointed as the new presiding officer.

The incident occurred around 8 p.m. at the Salimunnesa Secondary Girls’ School center, where the removed officer, Jasmin Ara, served as an assistant engineer at the Department of Public Health Engineering. Executive Magistrate Selim Reza and Assistant Returning Officer and Kaliganj UNO Rizwana Nahid visited the center following the discovery. Selim Reza said the seized sheets were torn up and would not affect the election results.

Officials emphasized that the removal was necessary to maintain transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.

Dr. Atiq Mujahid, the central joint convener of the National Citizens Party (NCP) and the 11-party alliance candidate for Kurigram-2 constituency, announced an iPhone prize for voters who capture and share 'special moments' from polling centers. In a video message released on Tuesday, he urged voters in Rajarhat, Phulbari, and Kurigram Sadar upazilas to record photos or videos of polling activities and upload them to Facebook or send them directly to his team. The most informative submission will receive an iPhone.

Mujahid hinted that participants should focus on specific types of videos, which observers interpreted as a call to document irregularities, ballot stuffing, or violence if such incidents occur. He described the initiative as a form of social resistance, aiming to empower citizens with mobile phones to act as individual media observers. Mujahid said the plan arose from concerns that opponents might attempt to capture polling centers due to the popularity of his alliance’s symbol.

The announcement has sparked discussion in the constituency. Political analysts noted that using social media for polling center monitoring could introduce a new dimension to the electoral environment.

In Bagerhat-2 constituency, Jamaat and independent candidates held separate late-night press conferences at the Bagerhat Press Club on Wednesday. Independent candidate M A H Selim alleged that propaganda was being spread against him, his posters were torn down across towns and villages, and his polling agents were being threatened. He urged the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies to take immediate action to ensure a festive and fair election atmosphere.

Jamaat candidate Manjurul Haque Rahat stated that his party did not believe in retaliation and wanted a peaceful election. He claimed that a coordinated group was spreading misinformation against Jamaat, while rival candidates were allegedly buying votes and setting up unauthorized campaign camps within 400 yards of polling areas. Rahat called on the administration and the Election Commission to maintain a level playing field and warned that they would be responsible for any untoward incidents if fairness was not ensured.

Separately, BNP candidate Barrister Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain met journalists at his residence and presented his election manifesto.

Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, spokesperson and head of the election management committee of the National Citizens Party (NCP), alleged that the media in Bangladesh has been taken over by the BNP and is acting in a one-sided and irresponsible manner. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday night at the party’s temporary central office in Rupayan Trade Center, Banglamotor, Dhaka, he warned that such 'information terrorism' would not be tolerated on election day.

Bhuiyan also claimed that weapons were being stockpiled in various locations ahead of the election and called on joint forces to conduct operations by Wednesday night. He criticized what he described as interference with personal freedoms during money recovery drives and questioned whether keeping a laptop at home could be considered a crime. He further alleged that the Election Commission, returning officers, and law enforcement agencies had failed to maintain neutrality.

The NCP spokesperson reported attacks on candidates and workers of the NCP and its 11-party alliance, along with intimidation of polling agents, urging local election officials to ensure a level playing field.