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Bangladesh's 13th General Election starts with a 48% voter turnout. Reports of violence and a major test for democracy amid political instability. Counting of votes to begin soon, with results expected by Friday morning.
Bangladesh’s politically surcharged atmosphere lodged nearly 48 per cent voter’ turnout till early evening on Thursday. The final figures will be announced late evening. Voting in Bangladesh began at 7.30 am on Thursday amid reports of sporadic violence in some parts to elect new government there. The 13th General Election in Bangladesh is seen as a critical test of the country’s democracy after years of political turmoil. According to reports a crude bomb blast rocked Gopalganj and Munshiganj triggering panic in the area. Although approx 1981 candidates are in the fray, only 109 of them are women, according to the Daily Star newspaper. The voting started in 299 out of 300 parliamentary constituencies across the country from 7:30 a.m. (local time) and closed at 4:30 p.m. Voting in the one constituency has been cancelled due to death of a candidate. BNP leader Mohibuzzaman Kochi, 60, died at a polling station in Khulna while going to cast his vote reportedly due to cardiac arrest. The incident occurred around 9 am at the Khulna Alia Madrasa polling centre. The counting of votes is expected to begin shortly after the voting concludes Counting will begin soon after the voting closes, with early trends expected around midnight and results likely to be clear by Friday (February 13, 2026) morning, Election Commission officials said. More than 127 million people are eligible to vote in the country of nearly 170 million. A total of approx. 2000 candidates are in the fray for 300 seats in Parliament across 64 districts in the nation. The process is being managed by an interim government headed by interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, which has promised free, fair and peaceful elections there.
Apart from the vote, a parallel referendum on 84-point reform charter will also be held (two ballot papers to voters). These proposals include limits on the length of a prime minister’s term, tighter checks on executive authority, and other steps to curb the concentration of power in Parliament. The outcome will show whether the country moves towards real institutional changes or continues under existing power patterns. Since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh has seen period of military rule and fragile democratic systems.
Interestingly in Bangladesh on the polling day on Thursday, the atmosphere of calm prevailed (barring sporadic incidences of violence) across India’s neighboring on the east. It proved the pundits wrong who associated election with large scale violence and conflicts. The Awami League headed by former PM Sheikh Hasina following 2024 student uprising, was banned from taking part in electoral process by the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. Two major political groups; Bangladesh National Party (Tariq Rehman s/o former PM Zi sur Rehman and Khalid Zia) and Jamaat-e-Islami led by Shafiqur Rahman have emerged as principal contender in this election. For a majority, a party or coalition would require requires 151 seats to form the next government.
After casting his vote, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus described the polls as “the end of a nightmare and the beginning of a new journey,” calling it the “birthday of a new Bangladesh.” The spotlight is firmly on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tariq Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and late President Zia-ur Rahman. Rahman returned to Dhaka in December 2025 after 17 years in exile, having fled in 2008. Urging voters to turn out in large numbers, he framed the election as crucial to thwarting “conspiracies” and restoring democratic balance. With the Awami League absent, its fragmented vote base is widely expected to benefit the BNP in several constituencies.
Equally significant is the resurgence of Jamaat-e-Islami, the hardline Islamist party once banned by the Hasina government in 2013 over its controversial role during the 1971 Liberation War. The ban was lifted after Hasina’s exit. Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman has aligned with the newly formed National Citizens Party (NCP), a student-led outfit born out of the 2024 uprising. He has described the vote as a “turning point” for the country. The NCP, which emerged as a platform promising to challenge the political establishment and safeguard civil liberties, has drawn scrutiny for partnering with the Islamist group, a move many argue blurs its reformist credentials. Nevertheless, the student party is poised to become a pivotal player, buoyed by strong youth appeal. Demographics could prove decisive. Nearly 44 per cent of the electorate is under 37 years of age, and around 4.5 million citizens are voting for the first time. Their aspirations — economic opportunity, political reform and institutional accountability — are expected to shape the country’s trajectory.
Yet beneath the peaceful polling lies palpable anxiety. Minority communities and women’s groups remain apprehensive about their future in an evolving political order where Islamist forces appear emboldened under the interim regime. Around 80 candidates from minority groups are contesting, but concerns over representation and security persist. For a nation long defined by the rivalry between Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia — two women who dominated its politics for nearly three decades, this election signals a sharp contract. Many observers see this as a contraction in gender visibility in national politics with only 109 women candidates in the fray. Beyond party arithmetic, the election is widely viewed as a contest over Bangladesh’s identity — secular-nationalist versus Islamist-leaning, establishment versus insurgent youth politics. The implications extend beyond its borders.
India-Bangladesh ties have nosedived since Hasina’s ouster in July 2024, and New Delhi is closely watching developments, hoping the new dispensation will help stabilise relations. The historical record, however, offers limited reassurance. Both the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have had strained and often hostile engagements with India in the past. Diplomatic signals suggest New Delhi may be cautiously leaning towards the BNP, viewing it as the lesser of two political challenges. Whether that calculation proves prudent will depend not only on the electoral outcome, but on how the next government defines Bangladesh’s internal balance and its regional posture. As ballots are counted, Bangladesh stands at a crossroads — seeking not just a new government, but clarity about the direction of its democracy and the identity it wishes to embrace.