Bangladesh Set for First Election After Sheikh Hasina’s Exit; Poll Date Out Today

Bangladesh is moving toward its first national vote since Sheikh Hasina was removed in August 2024, with the Election Commission preparing to reveal the polling date on 11 December. The announcement, expected during a 6 pm nationwide broadcast, will also address a planned referendum on sweeping state reforms.

The country has been run by an interim authority led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since the July 2024 uprising and the later fall of the Hasina government. This administration is overseeing both the election schedule and a proposal to reshape core state institutions through the so-called “July Charter”.

Bangladesh elections timetable and Bangladesh elections referendum plan

Senior Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told Reuters that Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will confirm the date for the next national elections in Thursday’s televised address. Officials also expect the nationwide referendum on the “July Charter” to be conducted on the same day as the parliamentary polls.

The charter, drafted following the unrest in July 2024, outlines broad institutional changes. It suggests limiting executive authority, giving more autonomy to the judiciary, and reinforcing the independence of election regulators. It also seeks tighter controls on law-enforcement agencies to reduce alleged political misuse and restore trust in state structures.

Bangladesh elections schedule, Bangladesh elections challenges and parties

Back in August, AMM Nasir Uddin said the national vote would take place in the first week of February 2026. At that time, Nasir Uddin warned that holding credible polls in Bangladesh would be difficult, citing deep public mistrust and limited enthusiasm among voters after years of disputed contests.

Nasir Uddin, speaking at an event in Rangpur district, highlighted the scale of scepticism. “People have lost confidence in the election system, the Election Commission and the administrative machinery involved in the electoral process,” Nasir Uddin said at a function in northwestern Rangpur district, as quoted by state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

Political attention is now turning to which parties may benefit if voting goes ahead as planned in early 2026. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party is widely viewed as the leading contender, after spending years in opposition during Sheikh Hasina’s rule and boycotting earlier disputed elections.

The Jamaat-e-Islami party is also re-entering electoral politics after the interim authorities relaxed earlier restrictions. Jamaat, the country’s largest Islamic party, had been blocked from running since a 2013 court decision ruled its registration breached Bangladesh’s secular constitution. That ruling had stopped Jamaat candidates from contesting any national or local polls.

In contrast, Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has been barred from contesting the coming vote under the interim arrangement. Hasina’s son has cautioned that unrest could spread nationwide if the prohibition on the party remains, adding further uncertainty to an already sensitive political climate as the election timetable approaches.