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6d ago

Bangladesh Sets Feb. 12, 2026 Election, Adds Same-Day Referendum on Reforms

A concurrent July Charter referendum signals a push for reform, with adviser resignations highlighting election neutrality.

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Pedestrians cross a road in the Karwan Bazar area, Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 17, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
People and vehicles pass through rail tracks at the Karwan Bazar area, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
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Overview

  • Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin announced the 13th parliamentary vote for February 12, 2026, with polling from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.
  • The Election Commission set key deadlines: nominations by December 29, scrutiny from December 30 to January 4, withdrawals by January 20, final list on January 21, and campaigning from January 22 to February 10.
  • A nationwide referendum on the July Charter will be held the same day to test support for curbing executive power and strengthening judicial and electoral independence.
  • Student-leader advisers Mahfuz Alam and Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan resigned from the interim cabinet after the commission clarified advisers cannot contest while in office.
  • President Mohammed Shahabuddin told Reuters he plans to step down after the election, as the Awami League remains barred and the BNP and reconstituted Jamaat-e-Islami emerge as the main contenders.