Amid high security arrangements across the country, polling began this morning at 7:30 am for the highly anticipated 13th Jatiya Sansad election in Bangladesh. More than 2,000 candidates representing 50 political parties, along with many independents, are in the fray.
The Muslim-majority nation has over 12.77 crore registered voters, including 6.27 crore women and 1,232 third-gender voters, casting ballots to elect 299 representatives (out of 300 seats in the national assembly). More than 42,000 polling centres are facilitating voters to exercise their franchise in person through paper ballots until 4:30 pm on 12 February 2026. The election is being conducted alongside a referendum on the July National Charter, a proposed provision for constitutional reforms in the South Asian country.
Interim government chief Professor Muhammad Yunus urged all participating candidates to rise above personal and party interests and prioritise the greater good of the Muslim-majority nation regardless of the poll outcome. Addressing the nation of over 170 million people ahead of the electoral exercise, Nobel Peace Laureate Dr Yunus said that both victory and defeat are integral to democracy, and called on leaders to work together after the election to build a new, just, democratic, and inclusive Bangladesh.
The chief adviser of the caretaker government also urged voters to participate enthusiastically and in a festive spirit. Prof Yunus made a special appeal to women and young voters — many of whom were deprived of the opportunity to exercise their franchise on earlier occasions — to come forward and demonstrate their commitment to a new beginning.
Nearly 400 foreign election observers, including around 200 journalists representing 45 global media outlets, have arrived in the South Asian nation. In the 12th parliamentary elections held on 7 January 2024, there were only 158 global observers, including a few foreign media personnel. Meanwhile, a two-day government-announced general holiday began on 11 February, while Friday and Saturday (13–14 February) are weekly holidays in Bangladesh.
Notably, ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has been barred from participation in the electoral process, leaving significant space for arch-rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the contest. The country last held general elections in January 2024, but the overthrow of Hasina’s government following a student-led mass uprising just six months later necessitated fresh polls.
Meanwhile, the New York-based press watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged major political parties in Bangladesh to protect press freedom in the troubled country. In a statement issued on the eve of the election, CPJ called for urgent steps to safeguard press freedom and journalists’ safety. Sending separate letters to office bearers of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the student-led National Citizen Party, and the Jatiya Party, the organisation urged them “to make public commitments to protect journalists during the election period” by rejecting violence, intimidation, and misuse of criminal or national-security laws.
The statement added that risks to journalists had intensified in the pre-election period, citing continuing imprisonment of reporters on unverified charges and longstanding impunity for violence against media professionals, contributing to a climate of fear and self-censorship.
Earlier, the Geneva-based media safety and rights body Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemned the murder of Bengali Hindu journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi (45) in Jessore on 5 January and demanded a thorough probe to bring the perpetrators to justice. Moreover, at least 12 Bangladeshi journalists were injured in an attack by extortionists in Narsingdi on 26 January. Denouncing the incident, PEC chairman Blaise Lempen urged Dhaka to ensure the group responsible is prosecuted.
The Bangladesh Editors’ Council also called on authorities to ensure the safety and security of journalists during the election period. In a statement, the council noted that working journalists gathering information during elections often face threats, and urged the interim government, election commission, and law enforcement agencies to take effective measures to guarantee adequate security.
Meanwhile, some Western media outlets have suggested that the BNP-led alliance is the front-runner in the election, with chairman Rahman projected as the next premier of Bangladesh. When Rahman returned home on 25 December, ending a self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom lasting 17 years, he was greeted by large crowds. The son of former Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman and former premier Khaleda Zia addressed supporters with the line “I have a plan,” echoing Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 speech. Bangladesh’s first female head of government, Begum Zia, died on 30 December at the age of 80, after which condolences poured in and the government declared three days of state mourning.
The US-based magazine The Diplomat recently carried an analytical piece predicting electoral momentum for Rahman. Similarly, Time magazine and Bloomberg, referring to several opinion polls, projected him as a front-runner ahead of the vote. Earlier, the UK-based weekly The Economist also anticipated the 60-year-old political scion emerging as head of government in Dhaka.
At campaign rallies, Rahman pledged to prioritise job creation, technical education, information technology, and sports. The soft-spoken politician emphasised building a new Bangladesh founded on mutual trust, respect, and shared benefits under the rule of law and freedom of speech.
