Overview

• Bangladesh’s Election Commission has indicated polling will occur in the first week of February 2026, with exact dates to be set about two months in advance.
• Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman has said the military is prepared to support “free, fair and neutral” elections.
• The interim government has barred Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League from contesting, and the BNP is now described as the largest political force.
• The National Citizen Party, formed from the student movement, has signaled it will not run under the current Election Commission.
• Reports describe sweeping crackdowns since the transition, citing more than 420,000 arrests and over 640 journalists facing attacks or detention.