Hours before the conclusion of campaign for the 13th national election, leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) delivered nationally telecast speeches and claimed the common legacies of the Liberation War of 1971 and the anti-Hasina uprising of July 2024, and pledged to set Bangladesh on track for economic development.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman said the ruling elite of Bangladesh had turned against people after previous elections and urged voters to support his party this time. In a detailed speech focused on development agenda, BNP chairman Tarique Rahman sought forgiveness for any mistakes that his party might have committed during its past governance stints.

Mr. Rahman paid tributes to the sacrifices of 1971 and the anti-Hasina struggle of 2024. The mention of 1971 in Mr. Rahman’s speech has drawn attention as the group is known for being supportive of Pakistan during the Liberation War of 1971. Speaking to The Hindu, a spokesperson of Jamaat for the international media clarified the party’s current position on the war of 1971 and said that Jamaat wishes to “own” both the “spirits of 1971 and 2024”.

“The main issue of 2024 was discrimination by a government against our people and the main problem of 1971 was also discrimination by Pakistan against the people of Bangladesh. That is why we want to own both the legacies,” said Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, spokesperson for international media and member of the Central Election Committee of Jamaat.

Mr. Islam added that the party wishes to convey that it wants to engage all sides and turn a new page in national politics. The legacy of 1971 had been a point of contention between JeI and the BNP with the latter reminding Jamaat that its cadre had participated in killings that were orchestrated by the Pakistani military. Tarique Rahman had in December 2025 reminded that JeI had opposed the creation of Bangladesh.

In his nationally telecast speech on Monday (February 9, 2026), Tarique Rahman also referred to the BNP’s founder Gen. Ziaur Rahman’s  role in the war of 1971, as well as his role in handling Bangladesh after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other national leaders in 1975, and highlighted his party’s role in bringing down the military rule of Hossein Mohammed Ershad in 1990 and the anti-Sheikh Hasina uprising in July-August 2024.

Countering the generally orthodox attitude of JeI on gender issues, the party chief promised that women will be in leading positions if his party is elected to power. However, Tarique Rahman made several detailed presentation that will be beneficial for the women of Bangladesh. In the speech, the BNP chief said his party will appoint 1 lakh healthcare professionals and that out of the total figure of those appointments, at least 40% will be women.

He also reiterated his pledge to make Bangladesh safe for all citizens including its women. He highlighted projects that will benefit students, farmers and women and promised that if elected, his party will enact legislation to deal with cyber bullying and violence that target women. “With your support, the BNP had shouldered the responsibility of governance more than once in the past. We might have committed mistakes unwillingly during that time. For that I express my sincere regrets to the people of my country,” said Tarique Rahman.

Days ahead of the general election and popular referendum of February 12, candidates and experts questioned the wisdom of holding the referendum that aims to curtail power of the Prime Minister’s post. They said there is very little understanding among the public about the idea and aims of the referendum and that there are chances that the outcomes of the two processes may lead to ‘tension’ that may prolong political instability in the country.

The referendum is aimed at implementing the recommendations made by July Charter, a document created by the National Consensus Commission that was formed for constitutional reform after the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina regime. Among its several recommendations, the July Charter seeks to enhance power of the President of Bangladesh which is largely a ceremonial position at the moment. It also recommends to remove the term ‘Bengalee’ from Article 6(2) of the present constitution and replace it with ‘Bangladeshi’.

That apart, much of the focus of the Charter is aimed at curtailing power of the Prime Minister with the aim to ensure that no future Prime Minister would be able to abuse authority. These provisions have already given rise to concern among the candidates who are campaigning for the February 12 polling.

The National Consensus Commission consulted political parties while drafting the July Charter but electoral candidates here said that they were not ‘involved’ in the drafting of the July Charter. BNP-backed Andaleev Rahman Partho who is contesting for Bhola-1 constituency in southern Bangladesh said, “Some of the political parties were consulted while making the July Charter, but we were not involved in the drafting process in the way that was necessary.”

He further said that the prominence of the national parliament should not be diluted through means that fall outside the realm of electoral politics. He said that as a representative of young Bangladeshis, he “acknowledges” the sacrifices made in July-August to overthrow the Governement of Sheikh Hasina but he does not want to make changes to the parliamentary process that is currently prevailing in Bangladesh as that system can not be blamed for the excesses committed by Sheikh Hasina.

“I own and acknowledge the July Spirit, that emanated from the sacrifices of July 2024 but I do not want to make it into a Magna Carta of sorts. The recommendations of the July Charter should be passed by the next parliament as that is the best way forward,” said Mr. Rahman Partho who is the leader of Bangladesh Jatiyo Party which is being supported by Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He argued that corruption depends on individuals and that it is not right to imagine that all future Prime Ministers will have a tendency to centralise power and become financially corrupt. He also said that people at large are unaware about the various aspects of the July Charter. “People are focused on the election, they want to elect the next members of the parliament. I am certain not even one tenth of my voters are actually aware of what the referendum is aiming to deliver,” said Mr. Rahman Partho.

Shafqat Munir, Senior Fellow at Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) also said the referendum may end up creating further difficulties before the country. “The questions asked in the referendum and the process of executing the referendum is complex and in some cases opaque. The electorate especially in the rural areas has scant understanding of what they are voting for. The interim government’s initial handling of the referendum has raised several major questions,” said Mr. Munir.

A new party on Saturday (January 24, 2026) joined the Jamaat-e-Islami-led electoral alliance ahead of the February 12 parliament election.

With the inclusion of the Bangladesh Labour Party, the alliance once again comprises 11 partners, a week after an Islamic party announced its exit.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is the country’s largest Islamic political party.

On Saturday (January 24), Bangladesh Labour Party (BLP) chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran, along with Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and its National Election Management Committee Convener Maulana A.T.M. Masu,m made the announcement of the BLP’s entry into the alliance at a press conference in Dhaka, according to the State-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

The Bangladesh Labour Party was included in the alliance “after discussing with the central leaders of the 10 parties,” Bangla newspaper Prathom Alo quoted Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mr. Masum as saying.

The Labour Party believes what is needed is “not just a change of power, but a meaningful transformation of the state,” its chairman Iran was quoted as saying by The Business Standard.

With the inclusion of the Bangladesh Labour party, the alliance once again comprises 11 parties: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party, Bangladesh Development Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (NDP), National Citizen Party (NCP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), AB Party, and Bangladesh Labour Party, the BSS added.

Earlier on January 16, Islamic Movement Bangladesh, also known as Islami Andolan Bangladesh, announced its exit from the Jamaat-led alliance.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s top leader Gazi Ataur Rahman had claimed that the party quit the alliance after being “deprived of justice” regarding seat allocations. He had also accused the Jamaat-led grouping of “deviating from Islamic ideals.”

Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has emerged as the frontrunner in the changed political landscape in the country after the interim government disbanded deposed premier Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League last year.

The Islamic political groups and parties formed a grand alliance recently in an effort to consolidate the votes of their supporters under what was called the “one box policy”, despite ideological differences among the parties.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the Election Commission to work with “complete impartiality”, weeks ahead of February 12 general elections.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the remarks on Sunday evening (January 18, 2026) after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka, state-run BSS reported.

Mr. Alamgir said the BNP has always cooperated with the Election Commission to ensure a free, fair and impartial election.

“However, we are now observing certain issues where arrangements appear biased and conduct raises concerns. We have urged the commission to refrain from such practices and to act with complete impartiality,” he said.

The BNP leader, elaborating on the meeting’s agenda, said “the postal ballot issue is still not fully resolved”.

“Specifically, we believe that the way ballot papers have been printed for registered voters residing abroad is not correct. There seems to be an attempt to give special advantage to a particular political party here. We have demanded a change in these ballot papers,” Mr. Alamgir said.

“We have also requested that those who will be on election duty within the country receive their postal ballots after the allocation of symbols. This is so that they can also have the opportunity to vote according to their judgment, just like any other voter,” he added.

On alleged violations of the electoral code of conduct and collection of personal information, he said, “A political party’s activists are going door-to-door collecting copies of voters’ NIDs, bKash numbers, and mobile numbers. This is a violation of personal privacy as well as a criminal offence. We have urged the commission to take urgent action to this end.” “A political party is resorting to unethical tactics by transferring voters from various parts of the country to Dhaka,” he claimed.

“We have requested the commission to urgently provide us with a detailed list of which areas, how many voters, for what reason, and when they were transferred to Dhaka,” he added.

The veteran BNP leader alleged that they have received complaints that in various electoral areas, “officials were working in favour of a specific political party”.

“For the sake of a fair, free, and acceptable election, we have requested their withdrawal subject to investigation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has urged cooperation from all stakeholders to hold a free, fair and inclusive election.

He made the remarks while addressing appellants and lawyers after a nine-day-long hearing on appeals against returning officers’ decisions on nomination papers for the 13th parliamentary election at the EC auditorium in the capital’s Agargaon area.

The CEC said the commission’s decisions were made without bias and with careful analysis. “All support from the public and stakeholders are essential to ensure a smooth and credible voting process,” he added.

Excluding the Awami League, which led Bangladesh’s independence movement in 1971, from the upcoming election will not lead to stability in the country, said Hasan Mahmud, former Foreign Minister who served in the ousted government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Mr. Mahmud met the media at a press interaction in New Delhi, stating that the Awami League and India have historically enjoyed good relations and that India would act if any threat to its security emanated from Dhaka, which is currently under an interim government.

“Barring the party that led the war of independence of Bangladesh and ruled the country several times will mean that the upcoming election will be nothing but an arranged one, and no stability will return to Bangladesh through such a process,” said Mr. Mahmud, who also expressed doubt over whether the elections would actually be held on February 12, as promised by the Bangladesh Election Commission. He said that, although the Awami League would not be allowed to contest in the upcoming election, the party has launched a global campaign to highlight what it described as serious violations of human rights and abuses against minority communities that have taken place in Bangladesh over the past 16 months. He also indicated that the Awami League plans to hold another media outreach event in India in the coming days.

The interim government, led by Mohammed Yunus, has been accusing Sheikh Hasina and members of the Awami League of orchestrating violence in Bangladesh while staying in India. However, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a parliamentary panel last year that Ms. Hasina had not received any support from India for her political activities. But Mr. Mahmud dismissed the interim government’s criticism, saying that the relationship between the Awami League and India is deeply rooted in the history of the Liberation War of 1971. “We had good relations, and we still enjoy good relations with India,” said Mr. Mahmud, acknowledging the long-standing support that the Awami League has received from India since the fall of the Hasina government.

“In 1971, you opened your borders for almost ten million Bangladeshis, but it was the people of India who opened their hearts to us at that time. Recently, when Sheikh Hasina came to India, she received full protocol,” Mr. Mahmud said during the media interaction at the Press Club of India, which was organised by the International Crimes Research Foundation. The former Foreign Minister also took note of remarks made by some student advisers about “separating the northeastern States from the rest of India” and said that India would act if any threat to the territorial integrity of the northeast emanated from Dhaka.

Mr. Mahmud was accompanied by Mohibul Chowdhury Nowfel, former Education Minister in the Hasina government, who spoke about the threat posed by radical elements released from prisons in Bangladesh after the fall of the Hasina regime. Mr. Nowfel said that the police in Bangladesh have lost a large number of colleagues in revenge attacks and that there is a “culture of impunity” prevailing in the country, which has made maintaining law and order a difficult task.

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Thursday (November 20, 2025) ordered restoration of election time non-partisan caretaker government but said the judgment would not apply to the planned general elections to be held in February next year.

A full seven-member of the Supreme Court’s apex Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed issued the order that “restored and revived” the previous constitutional provision which was annulled during deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government.

The apex court verdict, however, specified a phased implementation of the system, saying it would not apply to the planned 13th parliamentary polls, keeping the now disbanded Awami League out of the election fray.

The caretaker system was introduced in 1996 and two subsequent elections led by two retired chief justices oversaw the widely accepted polls within 90 days and transferred power to the winners.

The third consequent election in 2008 was held under a military-backed interim government led by a former central bank governor in a peaceful manner which brought Hasina’s now disbanded Awami League government, which scrapped the system with its overwhelming majority in parliament.

The three subsequent elections held under the Awami League regime sparked massive controversy over complaints of manipulations. Hasina’s arch rival and another former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted elections in 2014 and 2024, demanding the restoration of the caretaker government system.

Hasina’s government was toppled in a violent student-led protest on August 5, 2024, about seven months after it was re-elected in what the opposition termed as questionable polls in January.

The verdict said the caretaker system, originally inserted through the 13th constitutional amendment of 1996, was “activated and revived,” binning a 2011 apex court judgment during the past regime saying that verdict was “tainted by several cited errors apparent on the face of the record.” According to the verdict, Muhammad Yunu’s existing interim government would oversee the planned February election while the subsequent one would be held under the restored caretaker government system.

“Under the Constitution, the caretaker government must be formed within 15 days of the dissolution of Parliament. Since Parliament was dissolved more than a year ago, the required process cannot be initiated,” lawyer Sharif Bhuiyan, who had earlier filed a writ seeking restoration of the system, said.

Fifteen months after leaving capital Dhaka in the midst of an uprising, Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that ‘mistakes’ were “certainly made” by security forces while responding to the ‘disordered situation’ during last year’s student-people uprising. In a written interview to The Hindu, Ms. Hasina who fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2025 said she has her “doubts” on whether the election in Bangladesh would be held in February 2026 saying that even if held, the polls would not be recognised as valid as her party Awami League remains banned. However, Ms. Hasina said that she has not called upon her supporters to boycott the election and cautioned against “yet more violent uprising”.

“Our security personnel on the ground were responding to fast-changing and violent circumstances. Mistakes were certainly made in the way some members of the security forces responded to the violence, but the decisions made by senior government officials were proportionate in nature, made in good faith and intended to minimise the loss of life,” said Ms. Hasina in her response to a question.  

Also read | The evolving political dynamics in volatile Bangladesh

Ms. Hasina’s response came as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka has been preparing to deliver a verdict on her and several top members of her deposed government. Ironically it was Ms. Hasina who after staging a return to power in 2009 had re-established the ICT to deliver justice for the individuals who had colluded with Pakistan Army in 1971. Ms. Hasina has recently approached the International Criminal Court seeking probe into reported violence carried out by elements that are close to the interim government led by Nobel laureate Prof. Mohammed Yunus. “A guilty verdict is pre-determined, and I will not be surprised when it comes. But the ICT is a sham tribunal controlled by my political enemies, who are intent on destroying the Awami League as a political force. The call for a death sentence serves the same murderous aim,” said Ms. Hasina who reiterated that she “did not resign” before leaving on August 5, 2024.

“To resign as Prime Minister, you have to submit a letter to the President. I never signed such a letter, nor did the President receive one,” she said.

Ms. Hasina accused the interim government of Bangladesh for not being responsive to domestic and international calls for holding election in the past fifteen months saying, “I am not confident that the February elections will go ahead,” and added, “Even if the elections take place, they will not be legitimate if the Awami League remains banned from taking part.”

She said, the interim government is “intent on clinging on to power at all costs”.

“They are not elected, they have no commitment to the principles of public accountability. That, rather than the timing of the poll, is the key issue,” said Ms. Hasina arguing that the ban on Awami League “is damaging for all parties” and emphasised that Awami League will campaign in a “peaceful” manner for holding an inclusive election.

“Let me be clear: I have not called for a boycott. The point I was making was that millions of Awami League voters will not vote at all if they are denied the chance to support their preferred choice,” said Ms. Hasina, explaining, “Whatever happens our campaign will be peaceful. The last thing Bangladesh needs is yet more violent upheaval.” The contest for political power in Bangladesh has sharpened in recent weeks after Mr. Yunus presided over a ceremony where several major political parties signed the July Proclamation, that aims to incorporate a set of guiding principles to govern Bangladesh in the coming years.

The political parties are divided over the path ahead regarding the July Charter with the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami demanding that a referendum should be held on the July Charter ahead of the election so that the election process could be guided by the Charter itself while the biggest political party Bangladesh Nationalist Party demanding that the referendum and the polls should be held together in February. BNP leaders have also said that the interim government does not have the authority to bring in the charter that could alter the constitution of Bangladesh.

Responding to the debate on the July Proclamation, Ms. Hasina said, “The country does not need a new charter. The charter does not reflect the voices of the people of Bangladesh… I am skeptical that the referendum will be democratic in nature.” She also described the July Proclamation as a “dangerous business” that “distorts” Bangladesh’s history which includes the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 1971 Liberation War against the Pakistani military.

“You cannot eradicate history just because it is inconvenient. Our liberation struggle is something Bangladeshis are proud of, not ashamed of,” said Ms. Hasina.

The fifteen month long exile is the longest that Ms. Hasina has undergone since returning to Dhaka in 1981 when she ended her exile in Europe and India of around six years following the assassination of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. However, she blamed the “prevailing political climate” for not returning at present. Ms. Hasina blamed the interim government for the reported growth of extremist movements in Bangladesh. “The fact that Yunus has appointed some extremists to his Cabinet also sends them an encouraging message and, no doubt, practical assistance too,” said Ms. Hasina.

In her observation on the interim government’s outreach to Pakistan, Ms. Hasina said, the people of Bangladesh will “never” forget the atrocities committed by Pakistani military in 1971 and said, “Of course, it makes sense to have a constructive relationship with Pakistan. But it must be measured and balanced, rather than pursued at headlong speed and with total disregard for our most important relationship, which is and always will be our relationship with India.”

Bangladesh’s interim government on Wednesday (October 8, 2025) described Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s comments on the general election as “completely unwarranted”, saying it is entirely an internal affair of the country.

“I see that statement as not their matter; it is entirely an internal issue for Bangladesh, and such comments are completely unwarranted,” Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters.

Mr. Hossain made the remarks when asked to comment on Mr. Misri’s statement that India is firmly in favour of holding free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh at the earliest, and it is ready to work with any government chosen by the people in the polls.

Also Read | India ‘firm’ about ‘free, fair, inclusive and participatory’ election in Bangladesh: Foreign Secretary Misri

Dhaka-New Delhi ties were strained after the interim government assumed power following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League regime in a violent student-led movement dubbed the “July Uprising” in August 2024, when she left for India.

The interim government in May disbanded Awami League’s activities until the trial of Hasina and leaders of her government were completed on charges of brutal attempts to tame the July protestors and other alleged misdeeds carried out during her protracted regime from 2009.

Analysts said Misri’s call for “inclusive and participatory” elections in Bangladesh carried a political significance, while most of the Awami League leaders were imprisoned or on the run at home and abroad.

The interim government earlier sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi seeking Hasina’s extradition to stand trial, as she is being tried in absentia.