4 months ago
2
Campaigning began connected Thursday (January 22, 2026) for Bangladesh's archetypal nationalist elections since the 2024 uprising that ousted longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The large governmental parties held run rallies successful the capital, Dhaka, and elsewhere up of February 12 election, which is seen arsenic the astir consequential successful Bangladesh's past arsenic it follows Hasina's ouster and is being held nether an interim government, with voters besides deciding connected projected governmental reforms.
The interim authorities led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has pledged to clasp a escaped and just election, but questions were raised aft his medication banned Hasina's erstwhile ruling Awami League party. The Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party person historically dominated the country's electorate.
There are besides concerns astir the country's instrumentality and bid situation, but the authorities says it volition support the voting peaceful.
Mr. Yunus assumed bureau 3 days aft Hasina near the state for India connected August 5, 2024, pursuing the deaths of hundreds of protesters and others successful a convulsive crackdown.
With the Awami League excluded from the election, a 10-party confederation led by Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist party, is seeking to grow its influence. Jamaat-e-Islami has agelong faced disapproval from secular groups who accidental its positions situation Bangladesh's secular foundations. A caller enactment formed by pupil leaders of the uprising, the National Citizen Party, oregon NCP, is besides portion of the alliance.
Tarique Rahman, BNP president and the lad of erstwhile Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is wide seen arsenic a starring contender for Prime Minister. His enactment has drawn beardown enactment rooted successful the governmental bequest of his mother, who died past month. Mr. Rahman returned to Bangladesh past period aft 17 years successful exile successful the United Kingdom.
Mr. Rahman is launching his run successful the northwestern metropolis of Sylhet with an code to a rally aboriginal connected Thursday (January 22, 2026) and is scheduled to sojourn respective different districts successful the coming days.
Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP are acceptable to statesman their campaigns successful the capital, Dhaka.
The predetermination volition besides see a referendum connected a nationalist charter, with the interim authorities seeking to run for voters to enactment what it describes arsenic a caller governmental people built connected reforms. The charter was signed past twelvemonth by 25 of the country's 52 registered governmental parties. The Awami League opposed the idea, and respective different parties declined to motion the document.
The July National Charter, named aft the uprising that began successful July 2024 and led to the autumn of Hasina, is presently non-binding, but the supporters of the charter accidental a referendum is needed to marque it legally binding and a portion of the Constitution. Only Parliament tin alteration the Constitution successful Bangladesh.
The interim authorities says the charter would bring much checks and balances to debar authoritarian administrations, including by giving the presidency much authorization to equilibrium what had been a almighty Prime Minister position. It besides proposes word limits for legislators, and measures to forestall conflicts of interest, wealth laundering and corruption.
