Dhaka (Monitoring Desk) Bangladesh went to the polls on Thursday in a landmark general election, marking the country’s first nationwide vote since the 2024 mass uprising that ended the 15-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
More than 127 million registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in what is being described as one of the largest democratic exercises of the year.
Polling is taking place across over 42,000 voting centres nationwide under tight security, with nearly one million security personnel deployed.
Authorities have classified more than half of the polling stations as risk-prone, installing CCTV surveillance at most locations and deploying drones and body-worn cameras to ensure transparency and prevent violence.
The election is being conducted under an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, which assumed power after the 2024 Gen Z-led protests forced Sheikh Hasina into exile in India.
Hasina’s Awami League party, which dominated Bangladeshi politics for more than a decade, remains suspended and is not participating in the polls.
A total of nearly 2,000 candidates from about 50 political parties are contesting 300 parliamentary seats.
The main contenders include alliances led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is widely seen as the frontrunner, and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, whose political resurgence has raised concerns among secular groups and minority communities.
Alongside the parliamentary vote, a nationwide referendum is also being held to decide on constitutional reforms aimed at limiting executive power, strengthening judicial independence, and enhancing democratic accountability.
Observers say the referendum could significantly reshape Bangladesh’s political framework.
International observers from the European Union, Commonwealth, and several foreign missions are monitoring the polling process.
Early reports indicate a generally peaceful atmosphere, though authorities remain on high alert due to fears of unrest. Results are expected to start coming in by Friday morning.
The outcome of the elections is widely viewed as critical for Bangladesh’s democratic future, regional stability, and geopolitical alignment in South Asia, as the nation attempts to move beyond years of political turmoil and authoritarian governance.