Bangladesh’s next national elections will be held on February 12, 2026, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin announced. This vote marks the country’s first major election since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a mass uprising in August 2024.
Key Electoral Details
- Election Date: February 12, 2026.
- Political Context: The election is taking place 18 months after Hasina was forced to flee to India following weeks of violent protests.
- Interim Administration: The country has been governed by an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 8, 2024.
- Twin Election: For the first time, the parliamentary election will be a twin election, held simultaneously with a national referendum on the “July Charter,” which seeks to curb executive authority and strengthen the judiciary.
- Awami League Status: The Yunus-led administration has banned all activities of Hasina’s Awami League party, meaning the former ruling party is barred from participating in the upcoming race.
- Voter Base: The polls will accommodate an estimated 127.6 million voters across 300 parliamentary constituencies.
Background and Controversy
Hasina, who returned to office for the fourth consecutive time in the controversial January 2024 elections (which were boycotted by major rivals), now faces legal jeopardy. She was recently tried in absentia and sentenced to death by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for crimes against humanity related to the deadly crackdown on the 2024 student-led uprising.