Bangladesh Election 2026

Bangladesh’s general election will be held on Feb. 12, 2026, to elect the 350-member Jatiya Sangsad, including 300 directly elected seats and 50 reserved for women. A majority of 151 elected seats is needed to form a government. The vote, conducted under an interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, follows the ouster of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a 2024 uprising. Seen as a key test of democracy, it will coincide with a referendum on political reforms. The main contenders are Tarique Rahman (the Bangladesh Nationalist Party), Shafiqur Rahman (Jamaat-e-Islami, leading a 10-party alliance) and Nahid Islam (the National Citizen Party). Hasina's former ruling Awami League party has been banned from participating.