Campaigning began on January 22 for Bangladesh’s expected general election next month, the first since the 2024 uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic rule.
The campaign for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections formally kicked off after the allocation of election symbols and confirmation of final candidates, marking the start of full political activity ahead of next month’s polls.
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The South Asian nation of 170 million people voted for 350 lawmakers on February 12, ushering in new leadership after prolonged political upheaval following the ouster of Hasina’s government and reshaping domestic and regional power dynamics, AFP news agency reported.
The upcoming vote comes against a backdrop of uncertainty – including the murder of a student leader of protests against Hasina last month – as well as warnings of a “flood” of online disinformation.
Election observers from the European Union say the vote will be “the biggest democratic process of 2026,” AFP reported.
When are the elections scheduled in Bangladesh?
The campaign will continue until 7:30 a.m. on February 10. Voting will be held on February 12 from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
The Electoral Commission (EC) will also start training more than 800,000 presiding officers and assistant presiding officers from 22 January in preparation for the general election to be held on 12 February along with the referendum. The training program will continue till February 7, Muhammad Hasanuzzaman, director general of the Election Training Institute (ETI), said on Wednesday.
The vote, along with the national referendum, will take place on February 12. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is all set to launch its official campaign from Sylhet, with party president Tarique Rahman attending rallies in seven districts on the first day today.
Tarique Rahman, 60, who returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile. Rahman took over the formal leadership of the BNP after his mother, 80-year-old former prime minister Khaleda Zia, died in December.
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman will launch his campaign in Dhaka-15 constituency on Thursday and visit eight districts in the northern region over the next two days, AFP reported.
2000 candidates in the fight
Nearly 2,000 candidates are running for 300 parliamentary seats, according to officials.
The BNP fielded 288 candidates. The party aims to make a strong comeback as it faces stiff competition from rival political groups.
Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated 224 candidates while Jatiya Party has fielded 192 candidates for the election fray. The Islamic Andolan Bangladesh Party also announced a grand list of 253 candidates in the fray.
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Up to 249 independent candidates will also compete in the elections, which will add intensity to the multiple race. The National Citizens Party, which is contesting in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, has announced 32 candidates of its own.
Bangladesh, home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations, has significant Sufi patronage and the parties traditionally launch campaigns in Sylhet, home to the centuries-old shrine of Shah Jalal.
Lines of supporters lined both sides of the streets as Rahman prayed at the shrine on Wednesday night and cheered as his campaign bus drove past, with his nationwide roadshow of rallies starting later on Thursday.
Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposes Sufi mystical interpretations of the Koran, begins its campaign in the capital Dhaka, the constituency of its leader Shafiqur Rahman.
Since Hasina fled to India, key Islamist leaders have been released from prison and Islamist groups have become increasingly assertive.
The National Civic Party (NCP), made up of student leaders who spearheaded the uprising and formed an alliance with the Jamaat, will also begin its rally in Dhaka.
Yunus to resign
Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate who returned from exile in August 2024 at the behest of protesters to lead the interim government as a “chief adviser”, will step down after the election.
Yunus said he had inherited a “totally broken” political system and was pushing for a reform charter he says is vital to preventing a return to authoritarian rule, with a referendum on changes to be held on the same day as the vote.
“If you vote ‘yes’, the door will open to building a new Bangladesh,” Yunus said in a Jan. 19 broadcast to the nation, urging support for the referendum.
“Flood of disinformation” targeting public opinion polls
Earlier this month, he warned UN human rights chief Volker Turk about a “flood” of disinformation targeting opinion polls, saying he was “worried about the impact” the misinformation could have.
“They have flooded social media with fake news, rumors and speculation,” Yunus said, blaming both “foreign media and local sources”.
Bangladesh’s relations with India soured after Hasina fled to her old ally Delhi when protesters attacked her palace.
Hasina, 78, sentenced in absentia to death in November for crimes against humanity for a deadly crackdown on protesters in her failed bid to cling to power, remains in India.
Earlier this week, India classified Bangladesh as “non-family” sending its diplomats and advised dependent members of the mission and post to return home. The move came as a precautionary measure with increasing communal incidents raising concerns for the safety of minorities, according to media reports.
“As a precautionary measure, we have advised the dependents of high commission officials and four assistant high commission officials to return to India,” one of the people said, Hindustan Times reported.
India-Bangladesh ties
India-Bangladesh relations have reached an all-time low since the inauguration of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration in August 2024, with both sides beefing up security at their respective missions in Delhi and Dhaka following recent protests. Last month, there were violent protests outside the Indian mission in Chattogram.
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Indian missions have faced security threats, particularly after the killing of Islamist youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi in December 2025.
If you vote ‘yes’, the door to building a new Bangladesh will open.
In the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 12, the Indian party has reached out to the BNP, widely expected to become the single largest party in Bangladesh, according to a report in the Hindustan Times.
