Bangladesh election campaign kicks off ahead of February 12 vote
What's the story
The campaign for Bangladesh's general elections, scheduled for February 12, 2026, has officially begun. This is the first election since the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina's government in 2024. Nearly 2,000 candidates are contesting for parliamentary seats in this major political event. The campaigning will continue till 7:30am on February 10, just two days before voting day.
Candidate nominations
Election preparations underway, candidates nominated
The Election Commission is training over 800,000 presiding and assistant presiding officers for the polls. The training will continue till February 7. Major political parties have announced their candidates, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) fielding 288 candidates and Jamaat-e-Islami nominating 224. The Jatiya Party has put forth 192 candidates, while the Islamic Andolan Bangladesh Party has fielded 253 candidates.
Campaign kickoff
BNP chairman Rahman's return and campaign launch
BNP chairman Tarique Rahman will kick off his party's campaign from Sylhet. He returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years of exile. Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman will start his campaign from the Dhaka-15 constituency on Thursday. The National Citizens Party (NCP), formed by student leaders who led the 2024 uprising, will also hold a rally in Dhaka.
Diplomatic tensions
Nobel laureate Yunus's role
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who returned from exile in August 2024 to lead a caretaker government, will step down after the polls. He has warned of "a flood" of misinformation targeting the elections. Yunus claimed he inherited a "completely broken" political system and advocated for a reform charter that he believes is critical in preventing a return to authoritarian rule, with a referendum on the changes to be held on the same day as voting.