Voting Progresses Smoothly In Bangladesh Amid Tight Security Arrangements

Voting is progressing smoothly in Bangladesh's 13th parliamentary general elections on February 12, 2026, marking the first national polls since the 2024 student-led uprising that ousted longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and led to her exile in India. The election, held alongside a concurrent national referendum on constitutional and institutional reforms, sees over 127 million eligible voters casting ballots in 299 constituencies (out of 300, with one cancelled due to a candidate's death). Polling stations, numbering around 42,958 to 42,779 depending on sources, opened at 7:30 a.m. local time and will close at 4:30 p.m. without break, with vote counting beginning shortly after and results expected to be announced on February 13.

Massive security arrangements have been deployed to ensure a peaceful and transparent process, described as the largest in the country's electoral history. Nearly 1 million (approximately 939,000 to 958,000) law enforcement personnel from agencies including police, Ansar forces, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion, armed forces, navy, coast guard, and air force are on duty nationwide. Additional measures include armoured personnel carriers, rapid action teams in sensitive areas like Dhaka, drones for surveillance, body-worn cameras on officers, and CCTV coverage at about 90% of polling stations. Authorities flagged over half of the centres—around 24,000—as high or moderate risk, prompting heightened vigilance to prevent any disruptions.

Early reports indicate steady voter turnout, with long queues forming outside polling booths from as early as 6 a.m. in many areas, including Dhaka's Gulshan. First-time voters and others have praised the orderly and calm atmosphere at booths, highlighting smooth processes and effective security. Key political figures, including interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus—who called the day the "birthday of a new Bangladesh"—BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman, and National Citizen Party's Nahid Islam, have cast their votes. Some minor incidents, such as clashes between BNP and Jamaat supporters in Dhaka and crude bomb blasts in a former Hasina stronghold injuring three, have been reported but have not significantly disrupted overall voting.

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The contest primarily pits the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman and seen as a frontrunner promising improved law and order, against a Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition of 11 parties, including youth-driven groups from the 2024 uprising. The Awami League remains banned from participating, shifting the political landscape dramatically. Voters are also deciding on a referendum package aimed at introducing term limits for prime ministers, stronger institutional checks, and other reforms to prevent future authoritarian tendencies.

The election represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh's democracy following 18 months of interim governance under Muhammad Yunus. With international observers, including around 500 monitors, present and extensive technological safeguards in place, authorities and voters alike emphasize the importance of a credible outcome to restore stability and address long-standing demands for change. While the day has seen enthusiastic participation, the focus now shifts to the counting phase and the implications for the country's future political direction.

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