DHAKA, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Bangladeshis lined up outside polling booths on Thursday as voting began for what many say is a pivotal election for the South Asian nation, marking a return to democracy after the 2024 ouster of long‑time premier Sheikh Hasina in a Gen Z‑driven uprising.
Analysts say a decisive result is crucial for steady governance in the nation of 175 million, as the deadly anti-Hasina protests triggered months of unrest and disrupted key industries, including the garments sector, the world’s second-largest exporter. It is the world’s first election after a revolution led by under-30s, or Gen Z, to be followed by Nepal next month.
The contest pits two coalitions led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat‑e‑Islami, with opinion polls giving an edge to the BNP.
In Dhaka, the capital, people queued up outside voting booths before polls opened at 7:30 a.m. local time (0130 GMT), including eager participants like Mohammed Jobair Hossain, 39, who said he last voted in 2008.
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“I am feeling excited because we are voting in a free manner after 17 years,” Hossain said as he waited in line. “Our votes will matter and have meaning.”
Hasina’s Awami League is banned, and she remains in self‑imposed exile in long-term ally India, opening the window for China to expand its influence in Bangladesh as Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi deteriorate.
Unlike previous elections marred by opposition boycotts and intimidation, more than 2,000 candidates, including many independents, are vying for 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation. Voting in one constituency has been postponed due to the death of a candidate. At least 50 parties are contesting in total, a national record.
“This election is not just another routine vote,” Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, head of an interim government installed after Hasina’s ouster, said this week.
“The public awakening we witnessed against long‑standing anger, inequality, deprivation and injustice finds its constitutional expression in this election.”
In parallel, there will be a referendum on a set of constitutional reforms, including establishing a neutral interim government for election periods, restructuring parliament into a bicameral legislature, increasing women’s representation, strengthening judicial independence and imposing a two-term limit on the prime minister.
Despite the crowded field and expectations of a close race, the campaign period remained largely peaceful, barring a few incidents.
“The crucial test for Bangladesh now will be to ensure the election is conducted fairly and impartially, and for all parties to then accept the result,” said Thomas Kean, a senior consultant with the International Crisis Group. “If that happens, it will be the strongest evidence yet that Bangladesh has indeed embarked on a period of democratic renewal.”
On election day, more than 100,000 soldiers from the army, navy and air force will assist nearly 200,000 police in maintaining law and order.
EARLY START, LATE FINISH
Polling opened at 7:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) and closes at 4:30 p.m. Counting will begin soon after, with early trends expected around midnight and results likely to be clear by Friday morning, Election Commission officials said.
Nearly 128 million people are registered to vote, 49% of them women. But only 83 female candidates are contesting.
Corruption and inflation are the biggest issues among voters, a recent survey found.
The two prime ministerial candidates are the BNP’s Tarique Rahman and Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman. They are not related.
Several voters are conflicted about participating in the election.
Some, like rickshaw puller Chan Mia, say they cannot afford to travel to their villages to vote and lose their daily income in Dhaka. Others, such as gatekeeper Mohammad Sabuj, feel disillusioned because Hasina’s party is barred.
But some are determined to cast their ballots.
“During Hasina’s time, we couldn’t cast our votes,” said Shakil Ahmed, a driver. “It’s my right to vote. This time, I won’t miss it.”