Bangladesh Elections: Bangladesh has mobilized over 900,000 security personnel nationwide as the country begins its general election and referendum on February 12, 2026. The voting process is set to take place over a four-day national holiday, with polls open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin addressed the nation, urging all parties to accept the election results peacefully. Despite these appeals, reports emerged of Jamaat-e-Islami activists being apprehended with large sums of cash, a day after a Jamaat leader was caught with nearly Taka 74 lakh in northern Bangladesh.
Key political figures are participating in the elections, including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who voted in Thakurgaon. BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is contesting in Dhaka 17, while Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman is running in Dhaka-15. The National Citizen Party’s Nahid Islam, backed by an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, is contesting in Dhaka-11.
The election follows the January 2024 elections, which the BNP boycotted. Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League formed a government but was overthrown in 2024. The Awami League is not participating in the current polls, but its stronghold Gopalganj experienced violence overnight, with multiple explosive devices used in clashes. Both BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have accused the Awami League of rigging previous elections.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, February 12th, 2026
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