Bangladesh is going for national elections in February 2026 along with the holding of referendum for the July charter on the same polling day. The national address of the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Government Dr. Muhammad Yunus on Thursday afternoon set the stage for the Parliamentary elections to end the present political uncertainty in the country.
Along with these decisions, Dr. Yunus announced the formation of six commissions to reform the judiciary, election system, administration, police, anti-corruption and the constitution.. The aim of the reforms is to have a state system based on public ownership, accountability and welfare, he said. Dr. Yunus said that it had become essential to carry out some national reforms to prevent re-emergence of fascism and authoritarian rule in Bangladesh.
The much awaited national address by the chief adviser of the interim government is being assessed by the leading political parties of the country who are already in the election campaign. The main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Jamaat E Islami and the National Citizens Party (NCP), the new party of the students are in the thick of the campaign along with the other smaller parties who are looking for alliance with one of these three parties.
The Awami League which has been banned from participating in the February elections has reactivated its ranks and in the last few days organised rallies in a number of districts protesting against the authoritarianism of the Yunus regime. The Awami League workers who were hiding in the earlier months, are now coming out more openly and establishing contacts with their support base. The local leaders of Awami League are getting instructions from Sheikh Hasina from his base in India. In fact, in the recent days, the ousted Prime Minister is giving media interviews explaining the Awami League position on the eve of the elections in Bangladesh.
In the last fifteen months since the ousting of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina, there has been tumultuous changes in the positioning of the political parties in Bangladesh. The students body leading the anti-quota movement was the vanguard of the July movement leading to the fall of the Awami League government and the impression gained ground that this body which formed the political party National Citizens Party (NCP) in February this year, would be a leading force as a political party in the 2026 elections. But the developments in the last eight months since the founding of NCP shows that NCP has failed to emerge as a viable political party in the minds of the electorate while Jamaat has made big inroads. In the recent elections to the students unions in the universities, students wing of Jamaat has swept defeating both BNP and the NCP bodies. In fact, NCP candidates were nowhere in the picture.
At the campaign level, NCP leaders are divided and the party as a central body has not been able to furnish the names of the common candidates though BNP and Jamaat have already made big progress in choosing the candidates for their constituencies. Dhaka based observers believe that while BNP with its organizational spread and united leadership under Begum Zia, is set to occupy the leading position in the elections, Jamaat may emerge as the next party after BNP marginalizing NCP to a great extent. There are reports that some NCP leaders are trying for an understanding with BNP at individual level while a few others are working for understanding with Jamaat.
Jamaat in the electoral history of Bangladesh never got more than eight per cent of the votes though the party had a big nuisance value in creating disturbances for the ruling government. Now taking into account the possibility of coming near power, Jamaat e Islami leaders have sobered and projecting themselves as responsible leaders. Jamaat had understanding with BNP in earlier elections but this time, BNP is looking at Jamaat as a threat and refusing any truck with the party. BNP is confident of getting majority on its own in the absence of its traditional rival Awami League.
The Bangladesh Election Commission has introduced reforms to enhance participation and operational preparedness, including mechanisms for out-of-country voting. To strengthen election security, the Election Commission plans to integrate the armed forces into its election security framework. Despite these efforts, the pre-election environment remains fragile, with isolated but politically significant episodes of political violence, questions about the neutrality of local officials, and lingering distrust of security forces.
With roughly three months remaining until the February polls, the Election Commission has emerged as both a key institutional actor and a flashpoint for partisan criticism. The proposed Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 (RPO) includes significant changes aimed at enhancing transparency and rebuilding voter confidence. The revised RPO raises campaign spending limits, reintroduces the “No Vote” option, and empowers the Election Commission to annul constituency results in cases of irregularities. Following months of public consultation, the Election Commission also cancelled the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the upcoming election, citing operational challenges and concerns over credibility. It further ruled that alliance candidates must contest using their parent party’s electoral symbol, rejecting proposals to permit joint symbols for coalitions.
From all the reports of EC’s preparedness, there is reason to believe that the Election Commission really wants to hold a free and fair elections in Bangladesh. This is what the Bangladesh people are looking for. Political observers in Dhaka are watching with interest what will be the attitude of the Awami League supporters on the polling day? Will they boycott the February polls or they will resort to some tactical voting. The electoral battle will be fiercer in the coming weeks. (IPA Service)
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