Bangladesh elections 2026: Voting in Bangladesh is a crucial parliamentary election that could reshape the country after years of political instability. Today’s vote is the first election since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024 following violent protests.
Voting began at 7:30 a.m. (local time) in 299 of the 300 parliamentary constituencies across the country and will continue until 4:30 p.m. Voting has been canceled in one constituency due to the death of a candidate.
Counting will begin immediately after voting ends, and results are expected by Friday. Here are some facts and figures about today’s elections:
In a country of approximately 170 million people, 127 million Bangladeshis are eligible to vote today.
According to official data shared by the Bangladesh Election Commission, eligible voters include approximately 64.8 million men, 62.9 million women, and 1,234 transgender voters.
Approximately 5 million are first-time voters. Remember, the 2024 uprising against Hasina’s regime was led by students and youth, who are expected to exert influence in the elections.
One million police personnel and 800,000 officers deployed for the elections
The elections are being held at 42,779 polling stations, and approximately 800,000 officers are deployed to oversee the process. The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has stated that it is committed to conducting free, fair, and peaceful elections.
The interim government, led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, has deployed nearly 1 million police personnel, including about 100,000 soldiers from the army, to ensure a peaceful vote. To help ensure this, about 500 foreign observers and journalists will be present, including observers from the European Union and the Commonwealth of Nations, of which Bangladesh is a member.
Voting in 299 Constituencies
Bangladesh’s Parliament, or Jatiya Sangsad, has 350 seats, including 300 directly elected seats and 50 reserved seats for women.
Voting is taking place in 299 constituencies, with polling in one seat postponed due to the death of a candidate and will be rescheduled for a later date.
So, voters will directly elect 299 MPs, and 50 more women will be selected from party lists. Elections in one seat have been canceled due to the death of a candidate.
To form a government, a party or coalition needs a simple majority of directly elected seats—at least 151 out of 300. The 50 seats reserved for women are awarded after the election results, based on a party’s share of the 300. They do not affect the threshold for forming a government.
50 Parties, 2,028 Candidates in Bangladesh Elections
Nearly 50 parties are contesting the elections. Hasina’s former ruling party, the Awami League, is banned from the elections.
2,028 candidates are running for 299 parliamentary seats across the country.
The election is largely expected to be a two-way contest between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the 11-party alliance led by the country’s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami.
Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman of the BNP, is considered the frontrunner to become Bangladesh’s next Prime Minister.
Challenging the BNP is an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, a conservative religious group. A new party formed by rebel student leaders, called the National Citizens Party, or NCP, is part of this alliance.
Last 3 Controversial Elections?
Today’s election is the 13th parliamentary vote since the country gained independence in 1971.
The 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections under Hasina’s rule were controversial because they were believed to be rigged in Hasina’s favor. Major parties, mostly Hasina’s opponents, boycotted the elections.
What do pre-election surveys say?
Three major pre-poll surveys were released on the likely outcome of the Bangladesh elections. Two of them gave the BNP a clear lead, while the third suggested a close contest between the BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
(With agency input)