Bangladeshis cast their votes in the first general election after Sheikh Hasina's authoritarian government was toppled by major protests in 2024. Recent polls show the BNP leading with 70%, while Hasina's side calls for an election boycott.
On 12 Feb 2026, over 127 million eligible voters across Bangladesh went to the polls for the general election, marking the first vote since the large student protests that led to the collapse of Sheikh Hasina's authoritarian government. Hasina, who served as prime minister for 15 years, fled to neighboring India in 2024.
This election was held under the interim government of Nobel Prize-winning economist Mohammad Yunus. Key issues capturing public attention included anti-corruption efforts and job creation to revive the economy.
The latest opinion polls indicate that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), formerly the main opposition, leads significantly with 70% support, while the National Citizen Party (NCP), founded by student activists, has only 2.6% backing.
Local media report that the NCP has yet to establish a strong nationwide network and faces internal divisions along with criticism from its own supporters. Meanwhile, the interim government previously banned Sheikh Hasina's Awami League from political activities, prompting the former prime minister to call on her supporters to boycott the election.
Source: BBC