On Thursday, February 12, 2026, Bangladesh stood at a crossroads as millions of its citizens cast ballots in the first general election since the historic 2024 Gen Z-led uprising that toppled the long-standing government of Sheikh Hasina. The mood in Dhaka, the nation’s bustling capital, was one of cautious optimism mixed with lingering skepticism—a feeling echoed in the country’s streets, polling stations, and university halls.
By mid-afternoon, the Election Commission reported that over 47% of voters had already participated, a turnout that hinted at the high stakes and deep public engagement in this pivotal moment. Polls closed at 4:30 p.m., with counting beginning immediately and results promised the following day. More than 127 million Bangladeshis were eligible to vote, a staggering figure that underscores the magnitude of the event in one of the world’s most densely populated nations.
But for many, the election was about far more than just choosing new lawmakers. It marked a test of whether the seismic energy of the 2024 protests—when young men and women took to the streets to demand an end to corruption, job reservation policies, and political repression—would translate into lasting democratic reform. As the Associated Press noted, the protests erupted in July 2024, culminating in a brutal government crackdown that left more than 1,400 dead and ultimately forced Hasina to resign on August 5, 2024. She fled to India, and her party, the Awami League, was banned from the 2026 polls.
The scars of that crackdown have not faded. In a symbolic gesture, Dhaka’s police officers swapped their blue and green uniforms for gray and brown last November, aiming to distance themselves from the violence that marred the final days of Hasina’s rule. Yet, as Tanjina Tammim Hapsa, an activist at the University of Dhaka, told The New York Times, many protest leaders worry that such changes are only skin-deep. “We didn’t want to change the dresses. We want to change the system, the structure,” she said, voicing a sentiment widely shared among Bangladesh’s youth.
The country’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was upbeat as he voted in Dhaka’s Gulshan area and visited other polling stations. “This is a day of great joy. Today is the birthday of a new Bangladesh,” Yunus told reporters, capturing the hopeful spirit that many felt as they queued to vote. He underscored the government’s commitment to delivering a credible and transparent election, a promise reinforced by the presence of about 500 international observers and foreign journalists, including delegations from the European Union and the Commonwealth.
Bangladesh’s Parliament consists of 350 seats: 300 are directly elected from single-member constituencies, and 50 are reserved for women. Lawmakers serve five-year terms, and the stakes of this election are especially high given the country’s turbulent post-1971 history, which has seen periods of military rule, entrenched political rivalries, and persistent allegations of electoral fraud.
Among the leading contenders to form the next government is Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December 2025 after 17 years in self-exile in London. He has pledged to rebuild democratic institutions, restore the rule of law, and revive Bangladesh’s struggling economy—promises that resonate with a population weary of political chaos and economic hardship.
Challenging the BNP is an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party. Jamaat, which was banned under Hasina, has gained new prominence since her ouster. The conservative religious group’s growing influence has sparked concern among women and minority communities, who fear that social freedoms could come under threat if the alliance comes to power. Bangladesh is more than 90% Muslim, with Hindus making up about 8% of the population.
Shafiqur Rahman, chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, expressed optimism after casting his ballot. “This election is a turning point,” he told the Associated Press. “People demand change. They desire change. We also desire the change.” His words echoed the widespread yearning for a new direction, even as some worried about the direction that change might take.
For many young voters, who played a central role in the 2024 uprising, the election represented a rare opportunity to make their voices heard. Some 5 million first-time voters were eligible to participate. “I think it is a very crucial election because this is the first time we can show our opinion with freedom,” said Ikram ul Haque, a 28-year-old voter, to the Associated Press. “We are celebrating the election. It is like a festival here,” he added. “I hope Bangladesh will have exponential change.”
The election was not just about choosing representatives. A national referendum was held alongside the vote, giving citizens a say on sweeping constitutional reforms. The proposals, which stemmed from a charter signed by major political parties in 2025, include creating new constitutional bodies and transforming the Parliament from a single chamber into a bicameral legislature, with an upper house empowered to amend the constitution by majority vote. If a majority of voters endorse the referendum, the new Parliament will form a constitutional reform council tasked with implementing the changes within 180 working days of its first session.
Yunus was enthusiastic about the referendum’s potential. “Voting for a candidate is important, but the referendum is very important. The whole of Bangladesh will change,” he said, highlighting the transformative ambitions of the current political moment.
The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami both signed the national charter for reforms, albeit with some modifications after initial dissent. The Awami League, however, was excluded from the discussions and denounced the election from exile. Critics have also raised concerns that the referendum restricts the options available to voters, questioning whether the process truly reflects the will of the people.
For all the hope and energy that filled Bangladesh’s streets on election day, doubts lingered about whether the movement that toppled Hasina would deliver the deeper reforms so many had risked their lives for. As The New York Times observed, the Bangladesh election has become a test case for student-led movements worldwide—from Nepal to Kenya and Iran—seeking to turn protest into lasting change. The world is watching to see if the “birthday of a new Bangladesh” will live up to its promise, or if the hard-won victory of 2024 will fade into history as just another chapter in the country’s long struggle for democracy.
For now, Bangladesh waits. The votes are cast, the ballots are being counted, and the future—so fiercely contested over the past two years—hangs in the balance.