Bangladesh gears up for national elections amid tensions

It was the evening of June 22 in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. Former Bangladesh Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Freedom Fighter K.M. Nurul Huda was at his residence in the city’s Uttara neighbourhood when a mob surrounded and forcefully entered his home. They dragged him outside, assaulted him, and placed a garland of shoes around his neck. In the presence of law enforcement officers, a leader of the Jatiotabadi Swechhasebak Dal, the volunteer wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was seen repeatedly hitting Huda in the face with a shoe.

The attackers then handed him over to the police. Mr. Huda was shown arrested after the BNP filed a case against him and 23 others over alleged manipulation of the 2014, 2018, and 2024 parliamentary elections. Just hours after the arrest of Mr. Huda, another former CEC, Kazi Habibul Awal, has also been arrested.

According to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a leading human rights organization, at least 83 people lost their lives in incidents of mob violence between January and June 2025, describing it as a grave anarchy in a civilized country. The Bangladesh Army remains deployed alongside police forces to maintain law and order, as full stability is yet to be restored. Meanwhile, internal conflict within the BNP continues, while arrests and attacks targeting leaders and supporters of the Awami League are ongoing. Since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, a total of 112 former MPs including former ministers and state ministers, have been arrested, according to police and other sources. Among them are 12 former female MPs. To date, seven of those arrested have been released on bail.

Amid continued incidents of mob violence and political uncertainty, EC was formed after the July uprising, as the previous EC, led by Kazi Habibul Awal, resigned midway, is moving ahead with preparations for the country’s 13th parliamentary elections. It remains committed to holding the vote on time, a vote many hope will reflect the will of the people after a decade marked by allegations of election rigging and boycotts.

Following the initial announcement by interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, the EC has instructed its officials to accelerate all necessary preparations. While a formal election date has not yet been declared, multiple sources said that the polls are likely to be held in the first half of February 2026. Professor Yunus also said that if all logistical and administrative preparations are completed on time, the national elections could take place in the week before the start of Ramadan (Starting third week of February).

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said that “No matter what the election time may be, the EC has to be ready. We are now focusing on our preparations. He also said a clear timeline has been set outlining when each task will begin and when it will be completed.

Election Preparations Progress:

EC has made significant headway in preparing for the 13th parliamentary elections. On Thursday (June 19, 2025), the commission finalised the draft of the Political Parties and Candidates Code of Conduct, 2025. Meanwhile, the demarcation of parliamentary constituencies is nearing completion. The commission has received 638 applications requesting boundary changes for 76 constituencies, and the process is expected to conclude by the end of the week. Sources said, work on updating the national voter list is also approaching its final stage, with over 120 million eligible voters expected to participate. With the deadline set for June 30, officials are confident the process will be completed within the timeframe.

Procurement of essential election materials is underway. These include transparent ballot boxes, voter lists with photographs, ballot papers, indelible ink, various seals, stamp pads, envelopes, paper, pens, knives, candles, matches, and other logistical items. Ballot paper stock is being sourced from the state-owned Karnaphuli Paper Mill, and printing will begin at the government press once candidate nominations are finalized. Other election supplies are being acquired through open tenders, with the evaluation process now in its final phase. A work order is expected to be issued in the first week of July.

Preparations are also progressing for constructing and equipping polling centres, while significant advancements have been made in finalising the policy for accrediting election observers. EC has requested updated information by July 17 on minor repairs at educational institutions used or likely to be used as polling centres. The commission has already approved the policy for setting up polling centres.

The deadline for registration of new political parties ended on Sunday (June 22, 2025). A total of 147 parties submitted applications during that period, with more than 70 parties applying on the final day. The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student leaders who led a mass uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina, submitted its application to the EC on the last day, requesting ‘water lily’ as its electoral symbol. EC will begin reviewing and verifying the applications. If a party meets all conditions, it will be granted registration along with an electoral symbol. At present, 50 political parties are officially registered with EC.

Political Parties Begin Groundwork for Elections

Following a meeting between BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and the Chief Adviser, nomination aspirants from BNP have begun visiting their constituencies, engaging with local communities, participating in programs, and initiating early campaign efforts. Many are also lobbying the party’s top leadership to secure nominations. While party nominations are yet to be finalised, the central leadership has directed local leaders in select constituencies to support alliance candidates in seats likely to be allocated under coalition arrangements.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has also begun preparing for the upcoming national elections in all constituencies. The party has already published a list of potential candidates for at least 296 constituencies. It has also started announcing candidate names for the forthcoming local government elections. NCP has announced it will begin formal election preparations from July. Leaders of several other parties are also mobilising in their respective constituencies, marking the beginning of active groundwork across the opposition camp.

What Awami League’s stand for the elections:

Bangladesh’s EC suspended the registration of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. The move comes after the interim government banned all activities of the Awami League pending trials by a special tribunal into the party and its leaders for alleged crimes against humanity and human rights violations. Under Bangladesh’s electoral laws, a political party must be registered with the EC to participate in national polls. The suspension means the party is now officially disqualified from contesting future elections unless the ban is lifted and the registration restored.

However, Awami League thinks the international community will not accept elections as participatory without the participation of the party.

Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel, Organising Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, told The Hindu, “The world community will definitely not accept elections as participatory without the participation of all parties, opinions and people. Awami League has the support of at least 40 to 42% of voters. If such a large number of voters do not exercise their right to vote or abstain from voting, then naturally the election will not be participatory.”

“Awami League is not thinking of holding any election under the illegal Yunus government. We have resisted such illegal/farcical elections in the past, we will resist in the future as well.”, he added.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has also expressed concern regarding provisions to ban political parties and urged for meaningful progress in reforms aimed at creating an inclusive and free electoral environment.

However, Mr. Yunus, on his recent visit to London, said that the Awami League has not been banned. Their activities have been temporarily suspended, which includes elections. This is temporary. Whether they will be in the elections depends on the decision of the EC. “’inclusive’ means the participation of all people, not any specific party. As long as people can vote, it is inclusive.”, he added.

Md. Nazmul Islam, a political scientist and former parliamentary diplomat, told The Hindu that national elections should proceed as planned, even amid ongoing tensions. He believes that holding a timely vote could pave the way for restoring peace, as an elected government would have the legitimacy and authority to stabilize key institutions.

“While Bangladesh is undeniably going through a period of political unrest, delaying elections until after April is unlikely to improve the situation,” he said. “Major political parties, including the BNP, are demanding that elections be held as soon as possible.”

On the question of the Awami League’s exclusion from the upcoming elections, Nazmul Islam said that the issue of electoral credibility tied to their participation has, for now, become a secondary concern. “Given the Awami League’s diminishing public credibility and the unresolved grievances surrounding the events of July–August 2024, the legitimacy of the election no longer hinges entirely on their involvement,” he added.