Bangladesh goes to the polls for the first time since the Jenji uprising.

लगानी न्यूज

२९ माघ २०८२, बिहीबार १३:२८February 12, 2026

. Bangladesh has voted in parliamentary elections for the first time since the 2024 Zenji-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government. After years of political instability, the election is seen as an important test of the country’s democracy.

The voting, which began late on Thursday morning, was carried out by noon with enthusiastic participation in the capital Dhaka and other city centres.TAG_OPEN_div_38 Voting will continue on Thursday and the results are expected to be announced on Friday.

More than 12 TAG_OPEN_div_36 7 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the election, the first since the former prime minister left the country and banned her Awami League party. Hasina is currently living in exile in India.

Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was seen as the leading contender to form the next government.TAG_OPEN_div_34 He is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia. He returned home in December after 17 years in self-exile in London. He pledged to rebuild democratic institutions, strengthen the rule of law and revive a struggling economy.

An 11-party coalition led by the Jamaat-e-Islami has emerged as a force to challenge him.TAG_OPEN_div_32 The Islamist party, which was banned during Hasina’s rule, has grown in influence in recent years. This has raised concerns especially among women and religious minorities. About 90 percent of the population is Muslim and about 8 percent is Hindu. Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman said after the voting that “this is a turning point” and that people want change.

The interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has pledged to hold a fair and transparent vote.TAG_OPEN_div_30 About 500 international observers and foreign journalists are in attendance, including representatives from the European Union (EU) and the Commonwealth.

In the 350-member parliament, 300 members will be directly elected and 50 seats will be reserved for women.TAG_OPEN_div_28 The majority of MPs will be elected and the term of the parliament will be five years. According to the Election Commission, voting has been postponed in one constituency following the death of a candidate.

This election is being held in the wake of previous years of violence, attacks on minorities and the press, and the weakening of the rule of law.TAG_OPEN_div_26 Since its independence from Pakistan in 1971, politics in Bangladesh has been plagued by partisan strife, a coup and vote-manipulation. About 50 lakh first-time voters are expected to be decisive this time.

Ikram-ul-Haq, a 28-year-old voter, said it was his first time expressing his opinion freely.TAG_OPEN_div_24 “We are celebrating the election as a festival,” he said, adding, “I hope for a big change in Bangladesh.” ”

Along with the election, a referendum has also been held on the proposed constitutional reforms under the national charter. If supported by a majority, the new parliament will form the Constitutional Reform Council within 180 working days. The proposal includes the establishment of a bicameral legislature and giving the upper house the right to amend the constitution.

The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have agreed to the document after some amendments.TAG_OPEN_div_20 But the referendum has also been criticized for excluding the Awami League and some of its former allies from the process. The election is expected to set the tone for Bangladesh’s democratic future.