Bangladesh Votes in Landmark Poll, Yunus Seeks ‘New Beginning’ Amid Rigging Claims

Dhaka, Feb 12: Bangladesh began voting on Thursday in its 13th parliamentary elections, with top leaders of the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami and interim chief Muhammad Yunus casting their ballots early as polling opened nationwide.

The elections — the first since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in mass protests in August 2024 — are being held alongside a referendum on an 84-point reform package introduced by Yunus. Voting started at 7:30 am (local time) in 299 of 300 constituencies and will continue until 4:30 pm.

The main contest is between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, as Hasina’s now-disbanded Awami League has been barred from participating. Analysts say its exclusion has effectively disenfranchised a significant segment of voters.

BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, whose party is considered the frontrunner, voted at Gulshan Model School and College in Dhaka. “I have exercised my constitutional right to vote. For more than a decade, the people of Bangladesh have been waiting for this day,” he said, promising to prioritise law and order if elected.

Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman cast his ballot at Monipur Uchcha Vidyalaya and College and said his party would accept the results if the polls were conducted fairly. In a midnight social media message, he dismissed widespread allegations of irregularities as “laylatul gujob” (night of rumours) and urged voters to ignore them.

Mainstream media, however, reported claims of pre-poll vote stuffing, voter bribery, distribution of photocopied ballot papers and clashes among rival activists, prompting joint army and police operations and several arrests. BNP chief Rahman acknowledged receiving “some unpleasant information” overnight.

Interim government head Yunus voted at a makeshift polling centre in Gulshan, accompanied by his daughter. “Let us celebrate the birthday of the nation throughout the day… we have got today the chance to create a new Bangladesh in every sphere,” he told reporters.

The election is expected to conclude the 18-month tenure of Yunus’ interim administration, formed after the collapse of Hasina’s 15-year rule. The interim government last year formally disbanded the Awami League and barred it from contesting the polls.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin described the exercise as the “world’s largest vote in 2026” and asserted that polling was being conducted in a free, fair and peaceful manner. “We are happy with the situation,” he said after voting in Dhaka.

Both BNP and Jamaat had earlier urged supporters to line up at polling stations before dawn to prevent any alleged attempts at manipulation.

A total of 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties and 273 independents are contesting. According to Election Commission data, first-time voters account for 3.58 per cent of nearly 127 million registered voters. For the first time, about 8,00,000 expatriate Bangladeshis are eligible to vote through an IT-based postal ballot system. (Agencies)