February 12, New Delhi: Bangladesh is holding crucial, high-stakes parliamentary elections on Thursday, almost 18 months after a student-led uprising ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration.
Polling began at 7:30 am local time and will continue without interruption until 4:00 pm across 42,779 centers in 299 constituencies. The main contenders are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, with a closely contested race underway.
Authorities have placed polling centers under tight security, deploying police, Ansar paramilitary personnel, and other auxiliary forces to ensure a safe and orderly voting process.
A clear mandate is seen as critical to restoring political and economic stability in the nation of 175 million people, following months of turmoil in 2024 that disrupted key industries, including the garment sector, where Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest exporter. Election results are expected by Saturday afternoon, February 13.
