Bangladesh is preparing to hold its 13th general election—the first since the 2024 uprising that ousted longtime leader Sheikh Hasina and forced her into exile.
More than 157,000 police officers, supported by 100,000 soldiers and thousands of other security personnel, will be deployed nationwide to secure Thursday’s vote, in which nearly 127 million citizens are eligible to participate.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is seen as the leading contender.
Opposing the BNP and its allies is an 11-party coalition headed by Jamaat-e-Islami, which is seeking to expand its role in national politics. The Islamist group, banned under Hasina, has gained ground since her removal.
The alliance also includes the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), established by leaders of the 2024 uprising.
Alongside the parliamentary election, voters are also taking part in a referendum on political reforms, including limits on prime-ministerial terms, stronger checks on executive authority, and measures to prevent the concentration of parliamentary power.
Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Muhammad Sanaullah said on Tuesday that security cameras had been installed in more than 90 percent of the country’s 299 constituencies.
Voting in one of the 300 constituencies has been suspended following the death of a candidate.
Meanwhile, police chief Baharul Alam said more than half of Bangladesh’s 42,000 polling stations had been identified as vulnerable to violence.
He noted that over 24,000 centres were classified as high-risk or moderately risky due to the potential for unrest, violence or ballot manipulation.
An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has declared three days of public holidays starting Tuesday to facilitate the election.
Across the country, thousands of people including factory workers were seen travelling back to their home constituencies, as restrictions on public transport will be imposed on voting day.
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