Bangladesh (Commonwealth Union)_ Bangladesh goes to the polls today in what many see as one of the most important elections in its history. The vote comes 18 months after the dramatic collapse of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, which ended amid sweeping protests across the country. The demonstrations, driven largely by students and young activists, forced her government from power and ushered in an interim administration. Since then, the political landscape has shifted sharply.
The interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, dissolved Hasina’s Awami League and barred it from taking part in the election. With the former ruling party out of the race, the contest has taken on a new and unpredictable shape. More than 127 million registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots. A total of 2,026 candidates, including 78 women, are competing in the ongoing polls. By scale alone, this is one of the largest democratic exercises of 2026, not just within the Commonwealth but globally.
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The voting begins
Polling for the 13th national parliamentary elections and the 2026 referendum opened at 7:30 in the morning and will continue until 4:30 in the afternoon across 299 constituencies. Counting will begin immediately after voting closes. The sheer size of the operation is striking. Around 800,000 polling staff have been deployed to manage the process. Fifty political parties are in the fray this time. Bangladesh continues to use paper ballots, which voters drop into transparent ballot boxes placed at polling stations. Alongside independent candidates, more than 2,000 contenders are representing political parties. The atmosphere at polling centres early in the day was calm but closely watched, reflecting both anticipation and caution in a country still emerging from political upheaval.
Tight security amid fears of violence
Given the turbulent events that led to this election, authorities have taken extraordinary steps to ensure security and transparency. Nearly 958,000 security personnel have been deployed nationwide, with additional reinforcements in areas identified as sensitive. More than 100,000 army personnel are on duty. Armoured personnel carriers and rapid response teams have been stationed at key points in the capital and other major cities. For the first time in Bangladesh’s election history, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, and body-worn cameras are being used to monitor polling stations and surrounding areas.
Officials say these measures are designed to prevent violence and deter any attempt at manipulation. The Election Commission has already cancelled voting in one constituency, Sherpur-3, following the death of a candidate. The scale of the security operation reflects both the importance of the vote and lingering concerns about unrest. While authorities have appealed for calm, memories of last year’s protests remain fresh.
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Parties vying in the election race
With the Awami League absent from the ballot, the political contest has narrowed into what observers describe as a two-bloc race. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, enters the election as the frontrunner. Rahman recently returned to the country after 17 years in exile. The BNP is contesting nearly all 300 seats and has focused its campaign on restoring law and order, strengthening institutions, and drawing on what it calls its experience in governance.
Challenging the BNP is an 11-party alliance led by Shafiqur Rahman of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The coalition also includes the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student leaders who played a central role in last year’s uprising. Presenting itself as a fresh and ethical alternative to traditional power politics, the alliance has campaigned heavily among young voters and urban constituencies. The absence of the Awami League has reshaped alliances and voter loyalties. For many citizens, this election represents not just a change in leadership but a test of how the country will redefine its political future.
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Commonwealth election observers
The election has drawn significant international attention. Observer teams from several countries, including Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, and members of the European Union and the Commonwealth, are present in Bangladesh. Nearly 100 foreign observers and close to 200 international journalists are covering the process. The Commonwealth Observer Group, led by former Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo, has been deployed across all eight divisions of the country.
The team began its work days before polling, meeting local officials and reviewing preparations. Speaking as polls opened in Dhaka, Akufo-Addo said the group would monitor the entire process, from the start of voting to the management of results. He noted the inclusion of diaspora voters and the simultaneous constitutional referendum as significant developments in Bangladesh’s democratic journey. The group is expected to release its preliminary findings on 14 February.
European Union observers
The European Union has also sent an election observation mission. Ivars Ijabs, the mission’s chief observer, described the vote as historic and important for Bangladesh’s future. He stressed that the EU team’s role is strictly neutral and fact-based. Their objective is to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the process and prepare a detailed report, without becoming involved in political debates. Ijabs noted that the mission is part of broader efforts to deepen cooperation between the EU and Bangladesh, especially after what he described as a prolonged period without fully credible and competitive elections. For the EU, this vote is seen as a key step in assessing the country’s democratic progress.
What opinion polls say?
As election day arrived, opinion surveys offered sharply different forecasts. One survey projected a strong victory for the BNP-led alliance, suggesting it could win around 208 of the 300 directly elected seats. According to that assessment, the Jamaat-led alliance would secure fewer than 50 seats, with smaller parties and independent candidates sharing the remainder. Another poll, however, painted a much tighter race. It indicated that while the BNP-led bloc may hold a slight edge in overall vote share, the Jamaat-led alliance could have a stronger presence in several constituencies. In this scenario, both major alliances were projected to win just over 100 seats each, leaving several constituencies in play. The contrasting projections have added to the suspense. Analysts caution that the absence of the Awami League and the emergence of new political forces make this election harder to predict than previous ones.
What’s new about this poll?
This election introduces several firsts for Bangladesh. Voters are receiving two ballots. One to choose their Member of Parliament and another to vote in a referendum on the proposed “July Charter.” If approved, the charter would introduce term limits for prime ministers and strengthen judicial independence. Supporters argue that these reforms are essential to prevent the concentration of power seen in the past. Observers have also described this as Bangladesh’s first “Gen Z” election. The young people who led last year’s protests are not only voting in large numbers but also standing as candidates. Their influence is expected to be decisive in many constituencies.
In another historic step, more than 1.3 million postal ballots were issued, allowing expatriates and detainees to participate. For the first time, inmates were allowed to vote from custody. More than 5,000 prisoners cast their ballots through the postal system, marking a significant expansion of voting rights. As counting begins later today, the outcome will shape Bangladesh’s political direction for years to come. For many citizens, this vote is more than a routine election. It is a moment of reckoning, a chance to rebuild trust in democratic institutions after a period of intense unrest and uncertainty.
