Bangladesh Election 2026 : Bnagladesh Heads To Polls Under Massive Security Deployment

Dhaka : Voting is underway in Bangladesh since a massive student-led nationwide protest to dethrone PM Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 took place. 

The voting has started in 299 parliamentary constituencies out of 300 as the voting in 1 constituency got cancelled due to the death of the candidate. With a total of 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties, 273 independent candidates and 83 female candidates the voting is in full swing. 

The election commission has intensive security arrangements, deploying almost 1 million security personnel which is considered to be the largest ever in the country’s electoral history. Around 4:30 p.m., voting will end, and then the vote count will start.

Since Hasina’s Awami League was abolished by the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus last year, the race is primarily between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami. With 291 candidates, the BNP has the most candidates.

A referendum on a complicated 84-point reform package is being held concurrently with the 13th legislative elections. Stronger checks on executive power, term limits for prime ministers, and other measures to prevent legislative power consolidation are some of the political reforms.

Yunus, who has pledged to hand over power to the elected administration as soon as possible, has called on candidates, political parties, and all interested parties to behave responsibly, tolerantly, and democratically on election day.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin urged people to cast their ballots freely in a nationally televised speech on the eve of the election. He asked voters, candidates, and political parties to keep the atmosphere amicable and friendly.

According to him, the polls are being watched by representatives of 45 nations and organizations, including international organizations and election administration agencies. Nearly 9,000 law enforcement officers have been sent in to maintain security for the poll, according to poll Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Machud, according to the state-run BSS news agency.

In strategic locations throughout the capital, authorities have stationed Rapid Action Teams (RATs) and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs).

According to police, the EC received a list of polling places that pose a risk, and 1,614 of the 2,131 polling places in Dhaka were on the list. But according to the army, they have determined that two locations in Dhaka are “risky.” Election security is using drones and body-worn cameras for the first time.

According to EC figures, around 3.58% of the over 127 million voters were first-time voters.Using an IT-based postal ballot mechanism, about 8,00,000 Bangladeshi expatriates who have registered with the poll authority will be able to cast their ballots for the first time.

Bangladesh’s post-1971 history since winning independence from Pakistan has been characterized by established political parties, military takeovers, and accusations of vote tampering; the election could change the country’s internal stability. Influence is anticipated from young voters, many of whom were instrumental in the 2024 rebellion. There are almost 5 million eligible first-time voters.

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