Dhaka: Bangladeshis have begun casting their votes in a historic election. Bangladeshi citizens lined up at polling stations today to cast their votes in what is seen as a pivotal election marking a return to democracy following the 2024 uprising that ousted long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by a new generation, Gen Z.
According to Thai News Agency, analysts say a clear election result is crucial for the stability of the government of this nation of 175 million people, as the protests against Hasina, which resulted in deaths, have sparked months of unrest and impacted key industries, including Bangladesh's garment industry, the world's second-largest exporter. Furthermore, it marks the first election in the world to take place following a Gen Z revolution, ahead of Nepal's elections next month.
This contest is a competition between two main alliances led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami. Opinion polls indicate that the BNP has a slight lead. Hasina's Awami League party has been banned from political activity, while Hasina herself remains in exile in India.
What sets this election apart from previous ones, which were often met with boycotts by the opposition and intimidation, is that it features over 2,000 candidates, including numerous independents, vying for the 300 seats in the National Assembly. At least 50 political parties are participating, a national record.
Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate and head of the interim government that took office after the ouster of Hasina, said this week that the election was not just a routine vote, but a reflection of the awakened will of the people to resist long-standing anger, inequality, exclusion, and injustice, expressed through the constitutional process.
Meanwhile, a referendum will be held on several constitutional reforms, including the establishment of a neutral caretaker government during elections, restructuring parliament to a bicameral system, increasing the representation of women, strengthening judicial independence, and limiting the prime minister's term to a maximum of two terms.
Despite the large number of candidates and the anticipated close competition, the campaigning period has been largely peaceful, with the exception of a few minor disturbances. Thomas Kean, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, commented that the crucial test for Bangladesh now is ensuring that the elections are fair and impartial, and that all parties accept the results. If this happens, it will be the clearest evidence that Bangladesh has entered a true era of democratic restoration.
On election day, over 100,000 troops from the army, navy, and air force were mobilized to support nearly 200,000 police officers in maintaining order.
In Dhaka, the capital, people lined up in front of polling stations before they opened to vote at 7:30 a.m. local time (8:30 a.m. Thailand time). Election commission officials stated that polling stations would close at 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. Thailand time), with vote counting beginning immediately afterward. Preliminary results are expected around midnight, and official results should be clear by Friday morning.
There are nearly 128 million registered voters, 49 percent of whom are women. However, there are only 83 female candidates.
The two main candidates for Prime Minister are Tarique Rahman of the BNP party and Shafiqur Rahman, leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami Muslim Party. The two have no family ties whatsoever.