Bangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: Tariq Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died in December, is the main face of BNP in this contest.
Bangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: Bangladeshis are voting in a crucial general election today, the first since a mass movement ended former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year term. Although Hasina’s Awami League has refrained from contesting after the Election Commission canceled its registration, this survey is also being seen as the country’s first real contest since 2009.
More than 127 million people are eligible to vote in a country of about 170 million. A total of 1,981 candidates are contesting for Parliament seats across the country. The process is being led by an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, which has promised free, fair and peaceful elections.
Who are the top contenders?
For years, Bangladeshi politics has centered on two rival families and two powerful women, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.
Sheikh Hasina has ruled the country for most of this period, but her Awami League has been barred from contesting the current election. After the ban, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) emerged as the front runner. That puts former Prime Minister Zia’s son Tariq Rahman, who died in December, ahead of him as the main face in the race.
Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December after spending 17 years in self-imposed exile. He said he wants to strengthen democratic institutions, revive the rule of law and revive the economy.
The BNP faces a challenge from an 11-party bloc led by the Islami Jamaat-e-Islami, which wants to expand its role in national politics. Notably, Jamaat-e-Islami was banned during Hasina’s tenure, but regained ground after her removal from office. The alliance also includes the recently launched National Citizen Party, formed by Gen Z student leaders associated with the 2024 Uprising.
The world’s first Gen Z-inspired poll
Many young people who played a role in ousting her government in a 2024 coup believe the election will be the Muslim-majority country’s first real contest since 2009, the year Hasina began her 15-year term.
The National Citizen Party, led by Gen Z activists under the age of 30, has joined hands with the Jamaat after it failed to convert its anti-Hasina street protests into mass voter support.
“Various factors will shape the outcome, including the preferences of Generation Z, which makes up about a quarter of the electorate, will carry considerable weight,” Pervez Karim Abbasi, executive director of the Center for Governance Studies in Dhaka, told news agency AFP.
What did Sheikh Hasina say about the election?
Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina criticized her exile vote in India after her party was barred from contesting.
In an email to The Associated Press earlier this month, Hasina warned that Bangladesh could face long-term instability if elections are not inclusive, free and fair.
“Every time political participation is denied to a significant segment of the population, it deepens discontent, delegitimizes institutions, and creates the conditions for future instability,” he wrote.
Sheikh Hasina also said, ‘A government born through exclusion cannot unite a divided nation.
The main issues in Bangladesh elections
These are the main concerns of the country, which has been run by an unelected interim administration since Hasina’s tumultuous removal from power:
Corruption: According to a recent survey by the Dhaka-based Communication Research Foundation and Bangladesh Elections and Public Opinion Studies, the biggest concern for voters is corruption. Bangladesh has been among the worst performers in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for years.
Inflation: Inflation rose to 8.58% in January, official figures showed. In the same survey, more than two-thirds of respondents cited “price” as their second-most serious concern.
Economic Development: Bangladesh was once the fastest growing economy in Asia. However, the nation has found it difficult to regain momentum after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted its export-led apparel industry. People put economic development as their third major concern.
Employment: About 40% of the population is under 30 years of age. After months of unrest, the next government is under heavy pressure to create jobs for millions of young citizens will be
Ban on Awami League: Hasina’s Awami League has been kept out of the election. He said that without his party, millions of his supporters would have no one to vote for and many may boycott the elections. Some citizens said they would not vote. However, experts do not expect a large-scale boycott and believe former Awami League supporters will still influence the final outcome.
An important test for democracy in Bangladesh
Apart from the vote, there will be a referendum on political reforms. These proposals include limits on the length of a prime minister’s term, tighter checks on executive authority, and other measures to prevent the concentration of power in parliament.
The results will show whether the country moves towards real institutional change or continues with existing power patterns. Since independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh has seen periods of military rule and fragile democratic systems.
The results will also indicate whether youth-led protest movements can translate into lasting democratic change. About 5 million people are first-time voters and will cast their ballots for the first time.
Follow all updates here:
February 12, 2026 6:32:37 AM
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Bangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: Everything you need to know about the electionBangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: More than 127 million registered voters can cast their ballots at 42,766 polling stations across the country.
BNP is largely seen as the main force in this contest. However, it faces strong opposition from an alliance between the country’s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the student-led National Citizen Party. Altogether 51 political parties and about 2 thousand candidates are contesting.
The party that secures victory will take over the interim administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Feb 12, 2026 6:00:31 AM
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Bangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: When Will Voting Start?Bangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: Voting will start today at 7:30 AM (07:00 IST) and will end at 4:30 PM (16:00 IST).
According to the Election Commission of Bangladesh (ECB), ballots will be cast in 42,761 polling stations across 64 districts across 300 parliamentary constituencies.
February 12, 2026 5:54:02 AM
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Bangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: Sheikh Hasina’s party barred from contesting the electionBangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has been barred from contesting after the Election Commission suspended its registration.
The interim cabinet led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus decided to ban Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The decision was announced in May 2025 by Bangladesh Legal Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul.
February 12, 2026 5:39:09 AM
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Bangladesh Election 2026 Live Updates: Important Voting Today; BNP’s Rahman was seen at the frontBangladesh Election 2026 Live Update: Bangladesh will hold its crucial parliamentary elections today, nearly 18 months after a student-led movement ousted then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from office. His government led by the Awami League fell and an interim administration took over under Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.
Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son BNP leader Tarek Rahman is seen as a strong contender in one of the country’s most important elections. He could have become the Prime Minister and lead Bangladesh, as his parents once did.
