Election marketing campaign posters hold over a road a day forward of the nationwide election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 11.
| Picture Credit score: REUTERS
The story thus far: The destiny of the ‘Second Liberation’ of Bangladesh shall be selected February 12, the day of its basic elections. Round 12.7 crore voters are going to forged their vote for 300 seats of the Jatiya Sangsad (Nationwide Parliament) and for a nationwide referendum on the July constitution.
Who’s contesting on this election?
A complete of two,034 candidates, together with 275 independents, are contesting this election. There are 80 candidates from the minority Hindu neighborhood and 85 girls candidates. There have been 17 Hindu MPs within the 2024 Jatiya Sangsad. Presently, there are 59 registered political events in Bangladesh, of which 51 are taking part within the elections. There are two main blocs — the Bangladesh Nationalist Celebration (BNP), and a 11 social gathering alliance which incorporates Jamaat-e-Islami and the Nationwide Citizen Celebration (NCP) amongst others. The BNP is contesting for 292 seats out of the 300, leaving the remaining seats for its coalition companions. Jamaat is contesting in 224 seats; they haven’t any girls candidates, and just one Hindu candidate. The NCP, a youth social gathering that emerged after the July Revolution, is contesting in 30 seats.
What’s the Awami League’s standing?
The Awami League (AL), which was the social gathering of the ousted former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, has had its registration suspended by the Bangladesh election fee. In Could 2025, the interim authorities headed by Mohd. Yunus banned all actions of Awami League beneath the Anti-Terrorism Act. Based on Transparency Worldwide Bangladesh, 1,785 instances had been filed nationwide in opposition to AL activists and supporters as of November 19, 2025. AFM Bahauddin Nasim, joint basic secretary of the Awami League, informed The Hindu on February 8, that the social gathering has boycotted the election and instructed its supporters to not vote. Ms. Hasina has maintained that the elections are undemocratic, and that a big part of the inhabitants will boycott the polls.
What’s the nationwide referendum?
Aside from the overall elections, residents are additionally required to vote “Sure” or “No” on the July constitution. After the ouster of Ms. Hasina, following mass protests in opposition to her authorities, in 2024, religion was reposed in Nobel Laureate Mohd. Yunus. Mr. Yunus was appointed Chief Adviser to the interim authorities and in addition made chair of the Nationwide Consensus Fee (NSS). The NSS was to counsel structural reforms to the state which embody constitutional, electoral, and judicial amendments. Of the 166 suggestions of the NCC, 84 have been taken up forming the “Nationwide Constitution of July 2025”. Main reforms within the constitution are centred round making constitutional our bodies extra unbiased, proposing a bicameral legislature, and growing girls’s illustration in parliament. If the “Sure” vote prevails then the newly fashioned parliament will probably be sure to implement the constitution’s provisions inside 180 days. If its “No”, then the chance of one-party rule and weak establishments will loom over Bangladesh’s future.
What have been India’s observations?
India was invited by Mr. Yunus as an observer for the elections. Greater than 330 worldwide observers, double that of the earlier controversial 2024 elections, have been invited as observers. India is but to substantiate this invitation.
India stays the most important buying and selling companion of Bangladesh in South Asia. Many infrastructure and connectivity tasks just like the Kolkata–Khulna, Agartala–Akhaura, Haldibari–Chilahati in addition to the 1,000 MW electrical energy export to Bangladesh and the Tripura-Comilla energy hyperlink are the strategic pillars of this bilateral relationship. Nevertheless, for the reason that 2024 regime change, there was a level of ambivalence between the 2 nations. Solely time will inform how the connection will progress between the 2 neighbours.
Tabshir Shams is a postgraduate scholar from South Asian College, Delhi.
Revealed – February 12, 2026 08:30 am IST