Bangladesh Elections 2026: Bangladesh is heading to the polls today, February 12, for a significant general election to fill 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad. This election coincides with a national referendum on the “July Charter,” a set of sweeping constitutional reforms proposed after the 2024 uprising.
With nearly 128 million voters eligible, this marks the first national election in nearly 40 years without the country’s two major political leaders—Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia—on the ballot.
The two-ballot system: Voting for power and reform
For the first time, Bangladeshi voters will receive two separate ballot papers at polling stations:
The white ballot: This paper is for electing a Member of Parliament (MP) for their local area.
The pink ballot: This paper is for the national referendum on the July Charter. Voters must choose “Yes” or “No” for the entire reform package.
What is the July Charter? Emerging from the 2024 “July Revolution,” the charter suggests a “Second Republic” with major changes to the government structure, including:
Prime Ministerial term limits: A strict 10-year (two-term) limit on any individual’s tenure.
Bicameral Parliament: The creation of a 100-member Upper House.
Executive balance: Transferring significant powers from the Prime Minister to the President.
Caretaker system: Bringing back a neutral interim body to oversee all future general elections.
While the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami largely support a “Yes” vote to avoid returning to the previous government, the charter has received criticism for combining complex constitutional changes into a single choice.
The ‘blue thumb’ and postal voting firsts
In a break from regional customs, Bangladesh has a unique method to prevent double-voting:
The blue thumb: While Indian voters have their index finger marked, Bangladeshi voters receive an indelible blue ink mark on the thumb of their left hand.
Postal ballots: For the first time since independence, Bangladesh has set up a large-scale postal voting system, enabling over 1.5 million citizens—including those living abroad in 122 countries—to vote remotely.
A new political landscape: Life after Hasina and Zia
The 2026 election is notably marked by the absence of the “Battling Begums,” who led the country for many years:
Sheikh Hasina: Ousted in August 2024, Hasina remains in exile. Her party, the Awami League, has been excluded from the 2026 election, creating a significant political gap.
Khaleda Zia: The BNP chairperson and the country’s first female prime minister passed away in late December 2025, just weeks before the election.
In their absence, a three-way competition has emerged among the BNP (led by Tarique Rahman), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), which grew from student-led protest movements.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
