Bangladesh will go to the polls on February 12 as the Election Commission has officially issued the final list of candidates contesting the upcoming general elections. Political activity across the country has intensified as parties prepare for a high-stakes electoral battle. It will be the country's first since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in a violent student-led protest in August 2024.
BNP fields the highest number of candidates
In a significant move, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has fielded 288 candidates for the elections. The party aims to make a strong comeback as it faces tough competition from rival political groups.
Other major parties announce their lineups
Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated 224 candidates, while the Jatiya Party has put forward 192 contestants for the electoral race. The Islamic Andolan Bangladesh Party has also announced a sizeable list with 253 candidates in the fray.
Bangladesh election candidates list
Strong presence of independent candidates
A total of 249 independent candidates will also be contesting in the elections, adding more intensity to the multi-party race. The National Citizens Party, which is contesting in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, has announced 32 candidates of its own.
Election campaign to start today
It should be noted here that the campaigning for the polls will start from Thursday (January 22) amidst tight security. Election campaigning will begin on January 22 and will continue until 7:30 am on February 10. Voting will take place on February 12, from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, as per the Dhaka Tribune. The Election Commission (EC) will also begin training more than 800,000 presiding and assistant presiding officers from January 22 as part of preparations for the general elections scheduled to be held on February 12 alongside a referendum. The training programme will continue until February 7, said Muhammad Hasanuzzaman, director general of the Election Training Institute (ETI) on Wednesday.
What did Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus say?
Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus reaffirmed his government’s commitment to hold the general election and the referendum as scheduled on February 12, no matter who says what. "No matter who says what, the election will be held on February 12 -- not a day before, not a day after," the chief adviser said, adding that the vote would be free, fair and peaceful and held in a festive atmosphere. The chief adviser made the remarks when two former senior United States diplomats—Albert Gombis and Morse Tan, both of whom served during the Donald Trump administration— met him at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Tuesday night.
Yunus said there had been a flood of fake news to deliberately spread confusion surrounding the elections, but stressed that the interim government remained firm in its commitment to holding the polls on February 12 and handing over power to an elected government once the results are announced. He said the interim government would remain completely neutral during the elections, ensuring an unbiased administration and a level playing field for all political parties.
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