From India's perspective there are three major, and inter-connected, issues, the biggest of which is a potential Pakistan-China-Bangladesh axis that threatens to weaken Delhi's hold on South Asia.

Also in play are border and internal security implications arising from concerns like illegal migration (and the fallout on domestic politics) and continuing anti-Hindu sentiments.

Relations between Delhi and Dhaka, generally good with Hasina at the helm, have taken darker and more unpredictable turns since the July uprising. Political analysts agree Delhi would prefer to deal with a Bangladeshi government led by Sheikh Hasina and her 'India-friendly' Awami League, but also recognises the changing of the guard, if for the foreseeable future, in Dhaka.

“I urge all voters to go to polling centres and cast their votes without fear,” said Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman after casting his vote at Adamjee Cantonment College polling station. "Today is a very important day for us," he added.

Voter turnout stood at 32.88 per cent across 32,789 polling centres as of 12:00 pm, Bangladeshi media reported, quoting election commission senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed.

A crude bomb explosion followed by a chase and counter-chase incident took place at Makhati Gurucharan High School in Munshiganj Sadar upazila this morning. The clash took place between supporters of two rival candidates around 10 am, confirmed Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station, Md Mominul Islam, as reported by The Daily Star.

As Bangladesh votes in its 13th National Parliament election, two voter blocs are increasingly being viewed as decisive forces in determining the political outcome -- Generation Z and women, according to a media report.

Combined, these groups form a numerical majority of the electorate and are emerging as an independent voting force capable of reshaping conventional party calculations and electoral strategies.

With over 40 million voters between the ages of 18 and 29 and more than 62 million registered female voters, political observers believe that the results of the election may depend less on traditional party machinery and more on generational aspirations and gender-driven voting trends, according to a report published in a leading Bangladeshi daily, The Dhaka Tribune.

Analysts argue that the choices made by these two segments could influence not only which party forms the next government but also the broader direction of Bangladesh's evolving democratic framework.

As Bangladesh votes for its most crucial election on Thursday, the radical Jamaat-e-Islami and its leader, Shafiqur Rahman, are using religion and money to lure voters to elect the country's first Islamist-led government. The Jamaat coalition has circulated pamphlets across the country promising 15,000 taka to voters for the party. The document said that if all members of a family vote for the party, their afterlife will be "free of sin," and the move will grant them "salvation from grave punishment."

The pamphlet, accessed by NDTV, told voters to bring a camera phone to the polling booths to take a photo of their ballot papers after stamping them, as proof that they voted for 67-year-old doctor and Jamaat-e-Islami party chief Shafiqur Rahman. 

By early November 1987, President Hussain Muhammad Ershad had effectively sealed off Dhaka. Communications were cut. Educational institutions were shut. Political gatherings were banned. Emergency powers allowed mass arrests of opposition activists. Ershad, who had seized power in a 1982 military coup, was determined to crush a growing pro-democracy movement.

Yet opposition parties pressed ahead. On the morning of November 10, thousands attempted to march. Many never reached the rally as riot police intercepted protesters across the city. Some were beaten and detained, others were shot.

Among those detained that day was journalist Moazzem Hossain, who later recalled seeing a body dumped inside a police cell.

"One body stood out, it had a slogan painted on the bare chest," he wrote in his report for the BBC. "Sairachar nipat jak (Down with autocracy)."

The man was Noor Hossain.

Much of what the world knows about those early months come from an article published far from South Asia. On June 13, 1971, The Sunday Times in London ran a report titled "Genocide". Its opening scene followed a young Bengali man, Abdul Bari, trembling as Pakistani soldiers prepared to shoot him. The journalist was Anthony Mascarenhas, a Pakistani reporter who had been taken on a guided military tour meant to show the army's "success" against Bengali rebels.

Mascarenhas, though, saw something else. He witnessed villages burned, civilians executed, and officers discussing daily body counts in mess halls. He later wrote of "kill and burn missions". Unable to publish in Pakistan under military censorship, he fled to London, helped his family escape in secrecy, and went public.

The article shocked international audiences and eventually led to India's military intervention.

By December 1971, Pakistan and India were at war. Within weeks, Pakistani forces surrendered. Bangladesh became an independent country. The independence came after nine months of violence that left scars still unaccounted for.

The conflict started months earlier, with an election. In Pakistan's first general elections in 1970, the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won an outright majority driven almost entirely by votes from East Pakistan.

Instead of transferring power, the military government in West Pakistan delayed the assembly, imposed martial law, and arrested Mujib. Civil disobedience followed and the army responded with force.

On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight in Dhaka. Students, professors, and civilians were executed. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, erstwhile East Pakistan's elected leader, was arrested. Many Awami League leaders went into hiding. The army declared, "Big bird in cage. Little birds have flown." The crackdown was the start of a long conflict.

The crisis had been building for years. East Pakistan had a large population but limited representation in Pakistan's government. When the Awami League won the 1970 elections, then West Pakistani leadership refused to transfer power. Protests spread and civil disobedience increased and the army moved in to suppress the movement.

Three people suffered injuries in a crude bomb explosion at a polling centre in Gopalganj today.

"The explosion occurred around 9:00am at Reshma International School polling centre in Nichupara area," Additional Superintendent of Police Md Sarwar Hossain told The Daily Star.

The injured have been identified as Ansar members Sukanto Majumdar and Jamal Molla, and 13-year-old Amena Khanum.

Muhammad Yunus described the election and referendum as a moment of national joy and renewal. 

“This is a day of great joy. Today is the birthday of a new Bangladesh. We will celebrate this birthday throughout the day,” he told reporters after casting his vote at Gulshan Model High School and College.

Yunus described the environment in Bangladesh as “festive atmosphere like Eid."

"This election is about freedom of people," he added while speaking to reporters.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has called upon all citizens to exercise their franchise by going to their respective polling stations and casting their votes for candidates of their choice.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Rahman said, "Dear pro-democracy brothers and sisters, I request everyone to exercise their voting rights in a festive and peaceful environment. Vote for whomever you deem fit. Vote according to your own choice, and ensure your state rights and ownership." "Insha'Allah, from tomorrow, your Members of Parliament will take on the responsibility of serving you. I will take on the duty of ensuring that every victorious candidate of the sheaf of paddy (Dhaner Shis) properly fulfills their responsibilities," he added.

Bangladesh interim government head Muhammad Yunus on Thursday cast his vote at a polling booth in Dhaka as the 13th national parliamentary elections and constitutional referendum got underway in the country.

Yunus, who is leading the country's interim administration, described the election and referendum as a moment of national joy and renewal.

"This is a day of great joy. Today is the birthday of a new Bangladesh. We will celebrate this birthday throughout the day," Yunus said on the elections that comes after a student-led uprising brought down former PM Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government nearly 18 months ago.

"Through today's process, people have rejected the past. Whatever nightmarish past existed, we have completely discarded it. From today, at every step, we have gained the opportunity to build a new Bangladesh," he said.

"Voting for a candidate is important, but the referendum is very important. The whole of Bangladesh will change," Yunus said.

"I feel very happy. This is a day of great joy for me. It is a day of great joy for everyone in Bangladesh. A day of liberation. The end of our nightmares and the beginning of new dreams, that is what today's process is for," Yunus said.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam urged voters to go to polling centres and exercise their voting rights without fear.

“I urge everyone to cast your vote without fear. There was no opportunity for a fair vote over the last 16 years. Now, the chance has come to return to democracy by casting your votes,” he said after casting his ballot at AKM Rahmatullah College in Badda this morning.

He also expressed confidence, saying the 11-party alliance was formed to win the election.

“We are on the verge of forming the government if people are allowed to cast their votes freely and fairly,” he said, adding, “We are hopeful of victory and will accept the people’s mandate.”

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said the election is progressing in a free and fair manner so far.

“A few untoward incidents were reported outside polling centres, which are not significant,” he told reporters after casting his vote at Eskaton Garden High School around 9:30am, as reported by The Daily Star.

“We are happy with the situation,” Nasir added.

Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus casts his vote.

Farhana Islam Saima, 23, a fourth-year electrical engineering student at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, said she returned home on leave specifically to vote.

“I came home to uphold democracy. I want to see democracy firmly established everywhere,” she told The Daily Star.

In Dhaka-9, Sumaiya Akter Mim, currently in her second year of intermediate studies, cast her first ballot alongside her parents. She also took part in the referendum.

“There was a lot of tension about whether I would be able to vote. I came feeling quite scared. However, I was able to cast my vote in a peaceful environment for my preferred candidate,” she told The Daily Star.

At Mirzapur Government Primary School polling centre in Rajshahi city, Peyari Begum, a resident of Hanufar Mor, arrived at 7:30am to cast her vote.

“I did not vote last time. This time it feels like Eid. Everyone has come together early in the morning to vote. It feels festive,” she told The Daily Star.

“If the voting is held in a free and fair manner, we will accept the results. Others should also accept the verdict of the people,” Jamaat-e-Islami's Shafiqur Rahman told reporters after casting his vote at around 8:30 am at the Monipur High School and College polling centre.

He also urged voters to go to polling centres and cast their ballots.

“After being deprived of voting for nearly a decade and a half, I finally got the opportunity to cast my vote today. I could not vote in the elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024 as I was in jail during those times. After missing three consecutive elections, Alhamdulillah, Allah has given us the chance to vote today,” the Jamaat ameer said.

Coalition Led By Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP): Opinion polls indicate the BNP-led alliance holds an edge in the upcoming election. The BNP is contesting 292 of the 300 seats, leaving the remaining constituencies to its coalition partners, which include more than half a dozen smaller parties. 

The BNP is led by top prime ministerial contender Tarique Rahman, the 60-year-old son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman.

Its promises for the election include financial aid for poor families, a limit of 10 years for an individual to remain prime minister, boosting the economy by measures including foreign investments, and anti-corruption measures.

Jamaat-e-Islami's 11-Party Coalition: The Islamist party, which had opposed Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan, was banned for years under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in a youth-driven uprising in 2024.

Known for its anti-corruption image, Jamaat has been resurgent since Hasina's fall and is expected to deliver its best electoral performance, even if it does not win enough seats to form the next government. One of its main allies is the National Citizen Party (NCP), led by youth activists who were instrumental in toppling Hasina.

Jamaat is contesting 224 seats, the NCP 30 seats, and the rest are divided among other coalition constituents.

Should the Jamaat alliance win, its chief, Shafiqur Rahman will likely become prime minister.

Jamaat, which believes in a society governed by Islamic principles, has said that it will focus on reviving the economy, building good relations with neighbours, and reducing the country's heavy reliance on the export-focused garments industry by promoting other industries, such as leather goods.

(Reuters)

Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Shafiqur Rahman casts his vote at the Manipur High School centre.

In Bangladesh, indelible blue ink is applied to a voter's left thumb after they cast their ballot to prevent electoral fraud. In India, the ink is applied usually on index finger and in some polls, on middle finger.

Addressing the media outside the polling station in Gulshan, Dhaka, BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman spoke about violence and ensuring women security.

"Some unexpected incidents took place last night. Law enforcement has acted to bring the situation under control. If people come out an vote, no conspiracy will succeed," he said.

Talking about BNP's priorities, Rahman said, "If we win, will be ensuring law and order situation. We will ensure everyone feels safe in Bangladesh . We cannot leave women behind. Our priority will be to ensure safety and security of women."

Security has been tightened outside polling centres in Bangladesh, with personnel deployed to manage crowds and ensure smooth voting.

#WATCH | Security has been tightened outside polling centres in Bangladesh, with personnel deployed to manage crowds and ensure smooth voting.#BangladeshElections2026 #BangladeshElections pic.twitter.com/QpEGpF2KY1

— NDTV WORLD (@NDTVWORLD) February 12, 2026

Bangladesh is voting for a crucial national election today, the first since the July 2024 uprising that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 15 years of iron-fisted rule.
As Bangladesh votes, NDTV's Saurabh Gupta (@MickyGupta84) reports LIVE from Dhaka… pic.twitter.com/YVzuH4Aul0

— NDTV (@ndtv) February 12, 2026

A 28-year-old Hindu man was found dead with visible injury marks on his body in Moulvibazar district in Bangladesh on Wednesday, a day before crucial voting, triggering fresh concerns among minorities about election violence amid a volatile political climate. Police said the body of Ratan Shuvo Kar, a worker of Champara Tea Garden under the Islampur union, was found with his hands and feet tied.

Clashes have been reported between Jamaat and BNP supporters in Mirpur-10 Constituency in Dhaka. Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman is contesting from this seat.

#BREAKING | Clashes Reported Between Jamaat And BNP Supporters
NDTV's @MickyGupta84 Reports LIVE From Dhaka#BangladeshElections2026 pic.twitter.com/dwMoC4zCsv

— NDTV (@ndtv) February 12, 2026

During the war, he founded the Bangladesh Citizens' Committee in the US to raise awareness, support and funds. All members of the committee were required to contribute 10% of their salaries every month to the fund. 

He even published the Bangladesh Newsletter from his home in Nashville to convey the news of the Bangladeshi people through the US media.

He narrated the scenario in his autobiography called "Banker to the Poor."

"On 25 March 1971, the Liberation War broke out in Bangladesh, and our plans to return there were abandoned. I devoted myself to the cause of liberation. Like all Bengalis, I was keeping a close watch on the events in Dhaka," he wrote.

Yunus even stated that he organised protests in the US, and they were widely covered by the media. He also helped set up the Bangladesh Information Centre in Washington to coordinate lobbying in the US House and Senate. He travelled across US university campuses to organise teach-ins and awareness programs.

On December 16, 1971, Bangladesh gained independence, and he returned to the country.

Born in 1940 in the Chittagong District of the Bengal Presidency (now in Bangladesh), he studied in Lamabazar Primary School. He passed the matriculation examination from Chittagong Collegiate School, ranking 16th among 39,000 students in East Pakistan.

In 1957, Yunus enrolled in the Department of Economics at Dhaka University and completed his graduation in Economics in 1960 and master's in 1961. In 1965, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study in the US, where he completed his PhD in Economics in 1969.

Despite economic growth, her administration faced increased criticism from opposition parties and rights groups. Journalists and activists complained of growing restrictions. Some reporters were arrested or charged under digital security laws for online posts.

In 2024, protests first began on university campuses in Bangladesh. The issue was a long-standing quota system in government jobs. Soon, the demonstrators began raising broader issues such as a lack of political freedom, employment opportunities and arrests of critics.

By mid-2024, the protests had grown beyond the government's control. As unrest spread across the country, Hasina was forced to leave Bangladesh and seek refuge in India. She is observing the polls from here.

In 1975, Sheikh Hasina, 27 years old at the time, was living abroad. While she was away, Bangladesh went through one of its darkest moments. Hasina's father and the country's first Prime Minister, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was murdered by rebel army officers. In the same attack, she lost her mother and three brothers.

Six years later, she returned to the country and took charge of Awami League, her father's political party. It was a tumultuous time for Bangladesh; the army had seized power from the civilian government, and leading politicians such as Hasina and Khaleda Zia were often arrested.

In the 1980s, Bangladesh was ruled by military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Despite being rivals, Hasina and Khaleda Zia joined hands to end military rule, and in 1990, Ershad was forced to step down.

Soon after, Hasina and Zia fell out, and for decades, Bangladeshi politics revolved around these two women. 

For nearly two decades, Sheikh Hasina stood as one of the most powerful faces in Bangladesh's politics. She was often described as the country's "Iron Lady."

Hasina, who served multiple terms as Bangladesh's Prime Minister before a powerful student-led movement overthrew her Awami League government, is now watching the country go to the polls from across the border in India. The Awami League has been banned from contesting elections.

Under her leadership, Bangladesh saw major infrastructure projects, including bridges, highways and metro rail systems, take shape. The economy also grew steadily. For many ordinary citizens, life became stable compared to the past. But her critics accuse her of ruling like an autocrat.

The Jatiya Nagarik Party (JNP), also known as the National Citizen Party (NCP), is a political outfit formed by student leaders who helped topple Hasina's 16-year rule.

The movement began in July 2024 as protests against discriminatory public-sector job quotas, a long-standing grievance among students and young graduates. The anger soon grew into a revolt against corruption, repression, and the lack of fair elections under Hasina's Awami League.

The government responded with brutal force. Police, paramilitary units, and ruling-party student activists cracked down on demonstrators. Curfews were imposed, and the military was deployed. According to United Nations estimates, up to 1,400 people, many of them students and teenagers, were killed.

Videos of police shootings and battered protesters went viral. Within weeks, protests turned into a nationwide rebellion. On 5 August 2024, Hasina resigned and fled to India. In November 2025, she was sentenced to death by a Bangladesh court for crimes against humanity.

The polls will be held in the absence of its two most towering political figures, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since she was deposed in 2024, and Khaleda Zia, who died in December 2025.

The student-led uprising of July 2024 toppled Sheikh Hasina and banned her Awami League party. Jamaat re-entered politics, re-organised its leadership, and started campaigning actively. Opinion polls show Jamaat now close to BNP, its former coalition partner.

The party has tried to rebrand itself as moderate. It promotes minority rights, fielded its first Hindu candidate, and presents itself as "pro-Uprising" and "anti-fascist." Its student wing, ICS, won several key university elections.

Jamaat-e-Islami was founded in 1941 by Islamic scholar Syed Abul Ala Maududi. During the 1971 Liberation War, the party opposed Bangladesh's independence and supported West Pakistan.

Its leaders formed paramilitary groups such as Razakar, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams, killing thousands of civilians, allegedly raping hundreds of thousands of women, and targeting the Hindu community. The party aided the Pakistani army in suppressing the Bengali liberation struggle.

After independence, Jamaat was banned in 1972 for misusing religion for political gains. The ban was lifted in 1979, allowing the party to return to politics. Jamaat later joined coalitions with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and even held ministerial positions.

The Awami League is one of Bangladesh's oldest political parties, originally established as the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League on June 23, 1949, in Dhaka. It represented a secular and progressive voice for the Bengali population of then East Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a young student activist at the time, became one of its central figures.

1970 Elections

In the 1970 general elections, the Awami League swept East Pakistan, winning 160 out of 162 seats. West Pakistan's refusal to hand over power led to political unrest and a military crackdown known as Operation Searchlight.

On March 26, 1971, Bangladesh declared independence, launching a liberation struggle led by the Awami League. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by Pakistani forces, while the Awami League-led Mukti Bahini, backed by India, fought a nine-month war. Bangladesh achieved independence on December 16, 1971, with Rahman hailed as the nation's founding father.

The BNP was founded by former Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman on September 1, 1978. The party's ideology is rooted in 'Bangladeshi Nationalism,' recognising the right of people from all walks of life, irrespective of their ethnicity, gender or race.

As per its founding declaration, the BNP was established to achieve "unbreakable national unity and a broad-based democratic political structure," national economic liberation, self-reliance, as well as freedom from imperialism, expansionism and neo-colonialism.

During the 1979 elections in Bangladesh, the BNP bagged 207 seats, while the Awami League was restricted to 39 seats. The BNP formed the government, with Rahman stating at the time, "The first and foremost task of the BNP is to restore the democratic rights of the people."

Tarique Rahman is the eldest son of former Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman and three-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. His return to the country comes amid widespread political unrest, violence and debates over the interim government's role.

His father General Ziaur Rahman founded the BNP on September 1, 1978. He also played a major role in Bangladesh's liberation and set up the first civil administration in Roumari, a region that was reclaimed from Pakistani forces. 

Days after Khaleda Zia's demise, Rahman formally assumed office as the Chairman of the BNP in December 2025. Before that, he was serving as the acting chairman of the BNP.

The Hasina and Zia feud goes back to the mid-1970s when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a few of his family members were assassinated in a coup. A few months later, Ziaur Rahman, then deputy army chief, took control and became president in 1977.

Since the 1980s, the contest between Zia and Hasina has gone far beyond electoral competition, fueling violence, hollowing out democratic politics and paralysing governance.

While Hasina championed secularism and continuity with the liberation struggle of 1971, Zia, at the helm of the BNP, emphasised conservative values and a stronger role for religion in politics, as well as a distinct nationalist narrative.

Zia's supporters saw her as polite and traditional, someone who chose her words wisely. Hasina was considered far more outspoken and assertive. 

Interestingly, the two leaders joined hands to lead a popular uprising for democracy. This ultimately toppled military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad in 1990.

The cooperation between the two leaders did not last long. Once democracy was restored, the rivalry became the central axis of Bangladeshi politics.

Over the past few decades, the political history of Bangladesh has been profoundly shaped by the rivalry between two towering figures: Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, often called the "Battle of the Begums." 

Khaleda Zia, the wife of former President Ziaur Rahman, served as the prime minister thrice since 1991.

Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's founding father. The five-time prime minister was ousted from power in August 2024. She's currently no more than an outside observer in this election.

The two women not only inherited their political parties but also competing visions of the country's identity. 

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman seems undecided about what kind of relationship to keep with neighbouring India.

Two things illustrate this. First, the BNP's manifesto released last week talked about working to improve ties with neighbours for growing together.

And second, the manifesto alluded to India as the BNP accused it of border killings and push-ins, which Rahman's party said will stop with strong measures.

Khalida Zia and Sheikha Hasina held the prime minister's post alternately from 1991 until the Awami League chief came to power in 2009. Hasina remained in the post for over 15 years and 200 days and had won elections again in 2024, until she was deposed months later.

These elections are the first without two of the most consequential political figures in the country in decades. People in Bangladesh are casting their votes in a completely changed political landscape and hope to start a new chapter in the country's history.

Voters will cast their ballots for 299 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or parliament, for which the majority mark will be 150. Voting has been cancelled in the Sherpur-3 constituency following the death of a candidate.

A total of 12.77 crore registered voters will cast their votes in the first-past-the-post system. Voting began at 7.30 am local time (7 am IST) and results should start trickling in by evening.

Polls will open at 7:30am (01:30 GMT) on February 12 and close at 4:30pm (10:30 GMT). The polling will involve more than 127 million eligible voters in the nation of some 170 million people, with 1,981 candidates contesting across 299 parliamentary seats nationwide, according to the Election Commission of Bangladesh (ECB). Bangladeshi citizens living abroad will also be able to participate through a postal voting system for the first time.

Bangladesh's national legislature comprises 350 lawmakers. Of these, 300 are elected directly from single-member constituencies, while an additional 50 seats are reserved for women. Elections are conducted under a first-past-the-post system, so if a party wins 60 seats, it receives 10 reserved seats to be allocated to female politicians. Each parliament serves a five-year term.

Bangladesh operates a plurality voting system under which voters make one choice from a list of candidates, and, after the votes are counted, the candidate with the most votes wins the seat. This means that a party can win a large number of seats by only small margins, reflecting an imbalance between overall vote share and overall seats won.

He was an unconventional figure in politics. He started his journey as an Islamic cleric and defied all preconceived notions to emerge as a secular figure. Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, remembered as Maulana Bhashani or the “Red Maulana,” was the first president of Awami League, the party now banned from contesting the February 12 general elections.

Students in Bangladesh started protesting in early July 2024 and demanded reform in the job quota system that reserved more than half of government jobs.

As Bangladesh prepares to vote on February 12, the Election Commission and security agencies have completed final arrangements aimed at ensuring a peaceful polling process. Results are expected to be confirmed on Friday, February 13.

Ivars Ijabs, Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for Bangladesh's 2026 parliamentary elections, underscored the historic significance of the polls, emphasising the EU's neutral and fact-based approach to assessment.

"The European Union has gladly responded to the invitation of the Bangladesh interim government and the Central Electoral Commission to observe these elections, recognising that they are historic and important for Bangladesh," Ijabs said while speaking to ANI.

Outlining the mission's mandate, he stated, "The end result of that is to produce a report on those elections about what have been the strengths, what have been, if any, problems or weaknesses. Our task is not to get involved in the political game. We are non-partisan and neutral."

Placing the observation exercise within the broader framework of EU-Bangladesh relations, Ijabs noted, "This is one of the steps in expanding our cooperation with Bangladesh, given how important these elections are after a lengthy period without credible, competitive elections."

He added that the mission's final report would recommend improvements to democratic processes. "We really need credible partners, and Bangladesh is, of course, a close partner. We want to build and expand this partnership on the basis of democracy, the rule of law, and accountability in the exercise of political power, which is why we are observing the reform process."

The Bangladesh government has announced it will provide financial assistance and support for the family of Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched in Mymensingh district last year in December.

As Bangladesh is on the cusp of a historic election, the Hindus in the nation are grappling with living in fear of reprisals after the election as the targeted killings of Hindus continue in Bangladesh.

At least 394 international election observers and 197 foreign journalists have arrived in Bangladesh to observe the country's 13th general election and the referendum on the July National Charter, both scheduled to be held on Thursday, the Chief Adviser's Press Wing said in a statement on Wednesday.

Of the international observers, 80 represent various international organisations.

A total of 240 observers are from bilateral countries, including independent European observers.

Another 51 are individuals affiliated with different global institutions.

"The number of international observers for the upcoming polls is more than double that of the controversial general election held on January 7, 2024. By comparison, the 12th, 11th, and 10th general elections were monitored by 158, 125, and just four international observers, respectively," the statement added.

Key organisations sending observer missions include the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), with 28 observers, and the Commonwealth Secretariat, with 27.

The US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) has deployed 19 observers, while the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has sent one.

Yunus sees himself as the prime candidate for the post of President. Yet, on the streets of Bangladesh, he is unpopular and much reviled.

With Bangladesh heading into national elections in less than 24 hours, a rare and urgent congressional briefing on Capitol Hill has thrown a harsh spotlight on what speakers described as the accelerating persecution of Hindu.

Mohammad Harun Al Rashid, a seasoned Bangladeshi diplomat, in an exclusive interview with a leading think tank, described Bangladesh's national election slated for Thursday as one of the "ugliest" in the country's history.

He warned that the interim government's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, who has long survived by repackaging the grotesque as virtue, cannot evade accountability.

In an interview with Sri Lanka-based think tank Trinco Centre for Strategic Studies (TSST), Rashid said, "Like everything Yunus calls 'beautiful', this election is among the ugliest in Bangladesh's history, and that is not hyperbole. Yunus has long survived by repackaging the grotesque as virtue. This time, he will not get away with it."

He asserted that what is unfolding is not a genuine election but a contest between two factions of the 2024 "jihadist coalition" that seized power by overthrowing former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He argued that on one side stands the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies, while on the other is the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami and its partners.

The election is going to be the first since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, who now lives in exile in India. She was sentenced to death in absentia last year by a special tribunal under the Yunus-led administration. The charges against her relate to crimes against humanity over the deaths of hundreds of people during the 2024 uprising.

The election results will serve as an important test of whether popular protest movements by young people can translate into durable democratic change. Nearly 5 million people are new voters and will be casting their ballots for the first time.

An increasingly urgent concern in Bangladesh is the rising prominence of hard-line groups. Their influence has raised alarms about the rights and safety of women and religious minorities. Minority communities, particularly Hindus, report increased intimidation and incidents of violence, deepening fears about their place in the Muslim-majority nation.

There are growing concerns that the Islamist coalition could exploit these tensions to reassert political influence. Bangladesh is over 90 per cent Muslim, while around 8 per cent are Hindu.

Bangladesh’s political landscape has for decades revolved around two rival dynasties. On one side is the Awami League, headed by Hasina, the daughter of the country’s founding president. Opposing it is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, now led by Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia . who died in December.

With the Awami League banned, the BNP has emerged as the front-runner, positioning Rahman as the leading candidate. Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self exile and has promised to rebuild democratic institutions, restore the rule of law and revive the economy.

Challenging the BNP is a broad 11-party coalition spearheaded by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, which is seeking to expand its influence in national politics. Jamaat-e-Islami was banned under Hasina but has gained influence since her ouster.

The alliance also includes the newly formed National Citizen Party, created by leaders of the 2024 uprising.

Polls will open at 7:30am (01:30 GMT) on February 12 and close at 4:30pm (10:30 GMT). The polling will involve more than 127 million eligible voters in the nation of some 170 million people, with 1,981 candidates contesting across 300 parliamentary seats nationwide, according to the Election Commission of Bangladesh (ECB). Bangladeshi citizens living abroad will also be able to participate through a postal voting system for the first time.

Bangladesh's national legislature comprises 350 lawmakers. Of these, 300 are elected directly from single-member constituencies, while an additional 50 seats are reserved for women. Elections are conducted under a first-past-the-post system, so if a party wins 60 seats, it receives 10 reserved seats to be allocated to female politicians. Each parliament serves a five-year term.

Bangladesh operates a plurality voting system under which voters make one choice from a list of candidates, and, after the votes are counted, the candidate with the most votes wins the seat. This means that a party can win a large number of seats by only small margins, reflecting an imbalance between overall vote share and overall seats won.