Web Desk: Bangladeshi voters are heading to the polls on Thursday for the first parliamentary elections since the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following her violent crackdown on nationwide student protests in 2024 that left over 1,400 dead. Election campaign officially ended Tuesday morning, setting the stage for a landmark vote that could reshape the country’s political landscape.
The elections will be held across 42,761 polling stations in 64 districts, with 300 parliamentary seats up for grabs. About 128 million registered voters, including nearly 15 million overseas Bangladeshis voting by post for the first time, are eligible to cast their ballots. Bangladesh uses a first-past-the-post system, meaning the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins, while 50 additional seats are reserved for women and allocated proportionally based on party performance.
The main contenders in the race are two dominant alliances. The centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leads a coalition of 10 parties and is fronted by Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who returned to the country last December after nearly 17 years in exile. Opinion polls suggest the BNP is currently the favorite among Bengali voters, with roughly one-third of the electorate backing the party.
Challenging them is the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (JIB), spearheading an 11-party alliance that includes the National Citizen Party (NCP), a group formed by students who led the protests that toppled Hasina. Jamaat, historically banned and later restored to the political scene, is positioning itself as a strong alternative, polling just behind the BNP. Independent analysts suggest the election will test Jamaat’s real influence, especially in the absence of the Awami League, Hasina’s party, which remains barred from politics.
Observers note that the results will carry far-reaching implications for Bangladesh’s domestic governance and foreign relations. A BNP-led government may seek a more balanced diplomatic approach with India and other global partners, whereas a JIB-led administration could pivot toward Pakistan, Turkey, and potentially China or the United States. The outcome will also influence how the banned Awami League is reintegrated into the country’s political system in the future.
This election is particularly significant for the young electorate, many of whom are voting for the first time. Analysts say their participation, alongside the rise of Islamist parties and the unprecedented political openness following Hasina’s exile, makes this vote one of the most consequential in Bangladesh’s history.
