Bangladesh votes after Hasina's ouster: referendum, key candidates, seats—here's what you need to know

Finally, D-Day is near for Bangladesh as the country prepares to hold its 13th parliamentary elections on Thursday, February 12 — a politically significant vote following the July 2024 uprising that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The polls will also include a nationwide referendum on constitutional reforms, making it a dual-ballot exercise.

The Bangladesh Election Commission aims to deliver a “peaceful, credible, and participatory election,” officials said at a press conference on Wednesday, February 11, according to a press transcript accessed by CNBC-TV18 through news agency PTI.

Bangladesh election scale and voter base

Bangladesh, home to nearly 180 million people, is divided into 300 parliamentary constituencies. However, voting will be held in 299 constituencies following the death of a candidate, the Election Commission said.

Around 128 million citizens are registered to vote, placing the 2026 polls among the largest elections globally by electorate size.

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A total of 2,028 candidates are contesting, including 81 women. Roughly 1,750 candidates belong to 50 registered political parties, while the rest are independents. Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League remains banned from contesting the elections.

Officials also said the voter list was recently updated, with about 4.5 million previously unregistered voters added and more than 2 million deceased entries removed.

Referendum on constitutional reforms

Alongside the parliamentary vote, citizens will participate in a referendum on proposed constitutional reforms.

According to the Election Commission, the referendum includes proposals such as moving towards a bicameral parliamentary structure and other institutional changes recommended after the political transition triggered by the July 2024 uprisings.

Voters will cast separate ballots for the election and the referendum on the same day.

Officials said the referendum is part of broader reform efforts initiated by the interim government following the July 2024 student protests and is intended to shape the country’s democratic framework going forward.

Polling stations, staff and voting process

The Bangladesh Election Commission has set up 42,950 polling stations, including 299 dedicated to postal ballots, with 246,728 booths nationwide. Nearly 800,000 polling personnel will oversee the process.

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Voting will take place from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, with extended hours to accommodate the referendum.

Each voter will receive two ballots — white for the parliamentary contest and pink for the referendum — which will be placed in the same box and counted simultaneously.

Initial results are expected between midnight and early morning, followed by official confirmation after digital compilation, an EC official said.

Postal voting and security arrangements

Bangladesh has introduced an IT-supported postal ballot system for overseas voters.

Of the roughly 1.5 million registered postal voters, nearly 900,000 ballots had been returned by the eve of polling, the Election Commission said.

Security deployment includes over 900,000 law enforcement personnel across the country.

The Election Commission has accredited close to 10,000 journalists and more than 40,000 observers to monitor the process.

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