The Voting process is underway in Bangladesh on Thursday (12th February), as the country holds its 13th national election, marking a significant moment in its political history. Polling started at 7.30 am local time and will continue till 4.30 pm. The counting of votes is set to begin at 4 pm on 12th February, and the Election Commission is expected to announce the final results on the morning of 13th February once the counting is over.
STORY | Voting begins in Bangladesh's crucial parliamentary elections
Voting began on Thursday morning in Bangladesh's crucial general election — the first since the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina in massive nationwide protests in August 2024.
READ:… pic.twitter.com/LpJg0gy0To
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 12, 2026
This election is taking place after major changes in the country’s political scene. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia passed away recently, and her long-time rival, Sheikh Hasina, is no longer part of the current political setup.
Her party, the Awami League, is not in the race after the Election Commission suspended its registration last year, which means it cannot field candidates. With this, the country appears to be moving beyond the long-running “Battle of Begums” phase that shaped its politics for decades.
VOTE RIGGING!!!
For the first time in life he went to cast his vote and saw it had already been done! pic.twitter.com/xHut3Tf0km
— Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (@salah_shoaib) February 12, 2026
In the meantime, allegations of vote rigging and fraud have surfaced on social media. An electorate, who went to cast his vote at the polling station, informed Bangladesh Pratidin that he found that someone else had already voted in his name.
Bangladesh, the eighth most populous country in the world, has nearly 127 million eligible voters this time. Almost half of them are between the ages of 18 and 37. Around 4.57 million people are first-time voters. On the eve of polling, ballot papers and other election materials were sent to centres across the country under tight security arrangements, as reported by The Daily Star.
A total of 59 political parties are registered in Bangladesh, excluding the Awami League. Out of these, 51 parties are taking part in the election. Altogether, 1,981 candidates are contesting, including 249 independents.
Major parties in the fray include the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party, Jatiya Party (Quader), Jatiya Party (Ershad), the Left Democratic Alliance and the Amar Bangladesh Party.
Along with electing a new parliament, voters are also taking part in a referendum on the National Charter 2025. The document has been drafted by the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus and is being put to a vote at the same time.
Bangladesh follows a parliamentary system where executive power rests with the elected government led by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The President is the ceremonial head of state and is elected indirectly by members of parliament for a five-year term.
Corruption, rising prices, jobs and overall economic development are among the main issues influencing voters in this election. Ahead of polling day, Bangladesh Home Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd) warned that strict action would be taken against any law enforcement personnel or election officials involved in ballot box snatching, fake voting or other irregularities, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.
With a large young voter base and the absence of one of the country’s biggest political parties, the outcome of this election is expected to shape Bangladesh’s political direction in the coming years.
