Bangladesh completed polling for the general election and referendum for constitutional changes on Thursday (February 12, 2026). Polling started in 36,031 election centres at 7.30 a.m. and ended at 4:30 p.m. with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) accusing Jamaat-e-Islami, leader of an 11-party alliance, of intimidating voters in various locations. In total, 2,028 candidates are in the fray for the election that will pave the way for handover of power from the interim government to an elected administration.
Bangladesh election: Follow LIVE updates on February 12, 2026
Soon after the polling process, party symbols-bearing white ballot papers of the parliamentary election and pink ballots containing ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ votes for the referendum on ‘July Charter’ were being collected to be counted overnight. Credible early trends of the results are expected to trickle in by early morning of Friday (February 13, 2026), party sources said.
“The spontaneous participation of voters, the responsible conduct of political parties, the restraint shown by candidates, and the professionalism of all institutions involved in the electoral process collectively demonstrated that our commitment to democracy remains unwavering,” said Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, in a statement after the voting concluded.
The election was preceded by allegations of voter influence that were levelled by the BNP against Jamaat after a leader of the Islamist party was caught in Saidpur airport in north Bangladesh with 74 lakhs taka on Wednesday. The BNP alleged that several other similar incidents had also come to light.
However Jamaat denied the allegation and said the incident was “stage managed” by security agencies. Both the BNP and Jamaat sent delegations to the Election Commission late Wednesday night to place their versions regarding the case before officials. Several incidents of violence, intimidation and voter influencing were reported from different parts of the country during the polling.
The BNP Election Steering Committee alleged that, in Khulna, Mohibuzzaman Kachi, a leader of the metropolitan BNP sustained injuries in a scuffle with Jamaat workers after he reportedly “opposed manipulating votes” inside the centre. The BNP steering committee’s spokesperson Mahdi Amin said “stronger and more comprehensive action could have prevented these incidents more effectively.”
Among top leaders, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the BNP voted at Thakurgaon in north Bangladesh. Party chairman Tarique Rahman is contesting from Dhaka 17 in Gulshan neighbourhood of the capital, Jamaat leader Shafiqur Rahman is contesting in Dhaka-15 in Mirpur locality. National Citizen Party’s Nahid Islam, who is being supported by the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, is contesting from Dhaka – 11 constituency.
An important contest is taking place in Dhaka-8 where the BNP’s strongman Mirza Abbas is being challenged by the NCP’s Nasiruddin Patowary. Dhaka-8 is the seat where young Islamist Sharif Osman Hadi of Inquilab Mancho was planning to contest before he was shot dead in December 2025. Mr. Patowary’s challenge is significant as he is being supported by the 11-party alliance. During the polling, Mr. Patowary had alleged that the supporters of Mr. Abbas had tried to intimidate him. Independent candidate Rumin Farhana in Brahmanbaria, and anti-Hasina uprising student leader Hasnat Abdullah from Comilla-4 are among the star high profile candidates.
This election has witnessed participation of 51 political parties, including Jatiyo Party that was an ally of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Ms. Hasina’s Awami League remains banned and was not in the field for the first time in Bangladesh’s history. According to the Election Commission, till 2 PM, poll percentage was around 47.91% with expectation of greater footfall during the closing minutes of the poll.
While brisk polling was witnessed in most parts of Bangladesh in the morning as well as in the concluding hours, low voting was reported from the Awami League’s strongholds of Madaripur, Shariatpur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Bagerhat, Thakurgaon, Jamalpur and multiple seats of Mymensingh district. In a statement sent to the media, Ms. Hasina, who is based in India, said “workers of the Awami League, and well-wishers and minority religious communities of Bangladesh were being intimidated over the past several days.”
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi reiterated its position on the need for a “free, fair, inclusive and credible election in Bangladesh”. Official Spokesperson of the MEA Randhir Jaiswal said the interim government of Bangladesh had invited India to send observers. “We have not sent our observers to Bangladesh.”
The election was part of the mandate given to the interim government led by Mr. Yunus that had taken charge after the overthrow of the Hasina government in August 2024. Though it was expected that the election would be held within a few months, the entire process was postponed as Bangladesh dealt with administrative uncertainty and a series of reforms.
On the first anniversary of the fall of Ms. Hasina’s government, Mr. Yunus announced that the general election would be held ahead of Ramzan in the first fortnight of February 2026. This announcement was followed by the launch of the ‘July Charter’, a set of principles that were adopted by the interim government in consultation with various political parties that envisages crucial changes to the existing constitution of Bangladesh. Mr. Yunus has announced that the interim government will hand over power ‘soon’ after the election result is announced and the incoming government will have the responsibility of implementing the changes in the constitution as mentioned in the July Charter.
Bangladesh Elections Vox Pop
Bangladesh Elections Vox Pop
| Video Credit:
The Hindu
Published – February 12, 2026 10:52 pm IST
