Bangladesh votes in landmark polls after deadly uprising

Bangladesh voted Thursday in its first election since a deadly 2024 uprising, as parties crushed under Sheikh Hasina’s rule return to the fray with a powerful political heir facing an Islamist-led coalition.

Queues stretched outside polling stations in the capital Dhaka in the hugely anticipated election, while key party leaders have raised fears of threats or “conspiracies” to derail the vote.

Women wait to cast their ballot at a polling station during Bangladesh’s general election in Dhaka on February 12, 2026. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)

More than 300,000 soldiers and police are deployed countrywide, with UN experts warning ahead of voting of “growing intolerance, threats and attacks”, and a “tsunami of disinformation”, especially targeting millions of young first-time voters.

Leading prime ministerial hopeful Tarique Rahman, 60, is confident his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) can regain power in the South Asian nation of 170 million people.

But he faces a stiff challenge from a coalition led by the Muslim-majority country’s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami.The 127 million voters are also voting in a referendum on whether to endorse proposals for prime-ministerial term limits, a new upper house of parliament, stronger presidential powers and greater judicial independence.Voters will elect 300 lawmakers directly, with a further 50 women chosen from party lists.

This handout photograph taken and released by Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Press Wing shows Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s Interim Government, Muhammad Yunus casting his ballot at a polling station during Bangladesh’s general election in Dhaka on February 12, 2026. (Photo by HANDOUT / Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Press Wing / AFP)

Counting by hand begins after polls close at 4:30 pm (1030 GMT). Results in past elections trickled in hours later.

The next government will inherit a battered economy in the world’s second-largest garment exporter, as well as delicate relations with India.