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General Elections in Bangladesh
On 12 February, general elections took place in Bangladesh for the first time since the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, marking a potentially critical juncture for national stability and for the country’s political direction after the upheavals of summer 2024.
On 12 February, Bangladesh held its first general election since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed in August 2024, renewing the Jatiya Sangsad (the country’s unicameral parliament). The vote proceeded smoothly and in accordance with procedures set out by the Election Commission of Bangladesh. Voters were asked not only to elect members of parliament but also to take part in a referendum on the so-called “July National Charter” (2025), the document through which the post-Hasina transitional government introduced a series of temporary reforms.
The results, released in the days that followed, saw the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) prevail. The party is led by Tarique Rahman, son of Sheikh Hasina’s long-standing rival, Khaleda Zia, who was sworn in as Prime Minister on 17 February.
More specifically, of the 300 single-member seats – allocated across 42761 polling stations where voting took place, in turn distributed across 64 districts –, 211 were won by the BNP, which thus surpassed the 151-seat threshold required to secure a majority. The coalition led by Jamaat-e-Islami (JIB) won 77 seats overall, six of which were secured by the Bangladesh Citizen Party (BCP). These figures will then be complemented by the 50 seats reserved for women, which are to be allocated proportionally on the basis of the seats won by each coalition. In addition, the referendum confirmed the approval of the “July National Charter”, with more than 60% of votes cast in favor. As regards turnout, almost 60% of the country’s more than 128 million eligible voters participated (up from the 42% recorded in 2024).[1]
The elections and their outcome represent a significant moment for the country’s recovery. In the summer of 2024, Bangladesh witnessed an outbreak of intense street protests which, overall, resulted in more than 1400 deaths and approximately 20000 injuries, and culminated in the flight of the incumbent Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of an independent Bangladesh, and leader of the Awami League since 1981, served as prime minister from 1996 to 2001 and, after Khaleda Zia’s tenure, continuously from 2009. Over the course of her mandates, she oversaw notable improvements in Dhaka’s socioeconomic conditions.[2] However, this progress unfolded in a context marked by authoritarianism, repression, restricted press freedom, human rights violations, and a highly unstable macroeconomic environment, with elevated inflation and youth unemployment rates (9.73% and 15.74%, respectively). More specifically, the protests were triggered by the decision to reintroduce a quota system in government employment, under which a significant number of public-sector positions would be allocated to the descendants of so-called “freedom fighters.”
In the face of the political vacuum that emerged, Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladeshi economist regarded as a pioneer of modern microcredit and the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was tasked with leading an interim government, initiating a series of reforms aimed at stabilizing and rebuilding the country. In addition to the ban on the Awami League (which, accordingly, did not take part in the 2026 elections) and the rehabilitation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (JIB), the measures adopted include those set out in the above-mentioned July National Charter, which contains over 80 proposals intended to comprehensively reform Bangladesh’s system of governance through a wide range of interventions. These include increasing women’s political representation, introducing term limits for the Prime Minister, strengthening presidential powers, expanding fundamental rights, and safeguarding judicial independence. The Charter also recommends establishing an upper chamber of 100 members, in addition to Bangladesh’s current unicameral institutional set-up.
Alongside the institutional dimension, the new governance will be required to address equally sensitive priorities on the economic and security fronts. Economically, slower growth (+3.8% in 2025, down 0.5 percentage points from 2024), surging inflation (10%), and the need to diversify the export-led model (amid intensifying regional competition, particularly in textiles and apparel) intersect with the management of the International Monetary Fund assistance program requested in 2023, which has been extended and refinanced in subsequent years, for an overall total of USD 5.5 billion.[3]
In terms of internal security, Hasina’s fall has been followed by a marked escalation in political violence, including attacks and reprisals. These have primarily affected members of the state apparatus and the Hindu minority, which numbers around 14 million out of an overall population of 170 million, predominantly Muslim (approximately 91%). Often perceived as close to Hasina’s Awami League, the Hindu community has increasingly become a target amid heightened polarization and declining trust in public institutions. [4] It is also important to consider the presence of the Rohingya population, which has sought refuge in Bangladesh from Myanmar since 2017 and is largely concentrated in refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar area. Hosting roughly one million people, these camps have intensified pressure on local communities and have also shaped public perceptions.
To conclude, Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections, and the formation of a new government that followed, mark a significant step towards restoring political stability after the turmoil of summer 2024, when unrest pushed the country into a period of acute uncertainty. The new authorities now face the immediate challenge of rebuilding confidence and putting economic, political, and social governance back on a more stable footing. Much will also depend on how Dhaka positions itself in a shifting regional landscape, particularly considering the cooling of relations with India, the possibility of renewed rapprochement with Pakistan, and the gradual consolidation of ties with China, whose presence in the country continues to expand.[5]
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/artic...
[2] For instance, GDP per capita rose from USD 698.52 in 2009 to USD 2,688.31 in 2022; moreover, under her leadership, Bangladesh became the world’s third-largest exporter in the textile sector.
[3] https://www.imf.org/en/countri...
