Bangladesh election 2026: Polls open in democracy test

· DW

Voting has started in Bangladesh's first election since Gen Z mass protests toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Follow DW for more.

  • General election seen as pivotal for Bangladesh's stability
  • Frontrunners are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami
  • Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party is banned from contesting the election
  • More than 127 million people are eligible to vote

  • The polls opened at 7.30 a.m. (0230 ​GMT) on Thursday and closes at 

    4:30 p.m.

Welcome to DW's coverage of Bangladesh's national election on Thursday, February 12.