Bangladesh To Hold National Polls On Feb 12, 2026; First Election Since Hasina’s Ouster

Bangladesh will head to the polls on February 12, 2026, in what is set to become one of the most pivotal elections in the country’s recent history. The Election Commission on Thursday confirmed the date for both the national election and a landmark referendum on the “July Charter,” marking the nation’s first-ever twin polls.

This election will be the first since the dramatic student-led uprising in July 2024 that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power. Following her departure to India in August 2024, an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has been steering the country through a phase of political transition.

The twin polls will include voting for all 300 parliamentary constituencies alongside a nationwide referendum on the “July Charter,” a reform proposal that seeks to reduce executive powers, strengthen judicial independence, and overhaul key state institutions. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin made the announcement in a televised address, calling it a defining moment in Bangladesh’s political journey.

According to the election schedule, candidates will submit their nominations on December 29, 2025, while campaigning will be permitted from January 22, 2026, until two days before voting. Polling hours have been extended, with booths operating from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm to accommodate both ballot casting and referendum voting. The Election Commission has finalized arrangements for more than 42,000 polling centres and over 2,44,000 booths to serve roughly 127.6 million eligible voters.

In a move aimed at reducing environmental impact, the use of campaign posters has been completely banned. Constituencies with a single candidate will feature a “no vote” option for voters to register dissent.

Bangladeshi expatriates will participate through a new online registration system for postal voting, and nearly three lakh overseas citizens have already registered. Their ballots will list only party symbols or independent symbols and must reach returning officers before the close of polling.

The political field has changed significantly since Sheikh Hasina’s exit. The interim government has barred activities of the Bangladesh Awami League, and the Election Commission has suspended the party’s registration. Unless the ban is lifted, the Awami League will remain out of the 2026 race. Many of its leaders are either absconding or imprisoned.

Observers believe the main contest will be shaped by Begum Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the newly formed National Citizens Party, which emerged as a key force during the 2024 uprising. With calls for restoring democracy, reviving the economy, fighting corruption, rebuilding relations with India, and ensuring judicial freedom dominating public debate, the election is being viewed as a decisive test for Bangladesh’s democratic future.

Meanwhile, India has welcomed the announcement, expressing hope that the polls will be free, fair, and inclusive as Bangladesh prepares to navigate one of the most consequential elections in its history.

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