Quick Read
- Polls closed on Thursday, February 12, 2026, in Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections.
- Vote counting is underway, with official results expected by Friday morning.
- The official Election Commission website is inaccessible, leading to reliance on unofficial tallies from local media and political parties.
- The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claims its leader, Tarique Rahman, won two contested seats.
- Voters also participated in a referendum on constitutional reforms aimed at enhancing governance and preventing authoritarian rule.
DHAKA (Azat TV) – Vote counting is actively underway across Bangladesh following the closure of polls on Thursday, February 12, 2026, in a pivotal parliamentary election. While the nation eagerly awaits official results, local media and political parties have begun circulating unofficial tallies, a process complicated by the ongoing inaccessibility of the Election Commission’s (EC) official results website. This election, the first since a student-led uprising toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024, is widely seen as crucial for Bangladesh’s democratic future and stability.
More than 127 million eligible voters participated in this landmark election, which also included a significant referendum on constitutional reforms. Despite initial reports of smooth voting at many Dhaka polling stations, some parties have raised concerns about irregularities in other locations across the country, underscoring the challenges in ensuring full transparency.
Vote Counting Underway Amid Technical Glitches
Polling stations formally closed at 4:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, with manual ballot counting commencing almost immediately. Election Commission officials indicated that clear trends were expected around midnight, with full results likely by Friday morning. However, the official EC results website has remained inaccessible, prompting local broadcasters, news outlets, and political parties to circulate unofficial figures as they emerge from returning officers’ control rooms.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, has already claimed victory for its chief in both Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies, according to an announcement on the party’s Facebook page. While these remain unofficial until formally declared by the EC, local media, such as The Daily Star, have also reported unofficial wins for BNP candidates, including Md Asaduzzaman in Jhenaidah-1. The reliance on these unofficial channels highlights the immediate information gap caused by the EC website’s outage, making real-time monitoring of results a complex endeavor.
Key Parties Vie for Power in Post-Hasina Era
The 2026 general election is primarily a contest between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and an alliance of 11 parties led by the resurgent Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami. The Awami League, previously led by Sheikh Hasina, was banned from contesting the election following the 2024 protests, with Hasina herself in self-imposed exile.
Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has emerged as the frontrunner for the BNP. Jamaat-e-Islami, led by Shafiqur Rahman, has shown unexpected strength in opinion polls, potentially marking its strongest electoral performance since the country’s independence in 1971.
A third political force, the youth-driven National Citizen Party (NCP), which emerged from the Gen Z uprising of 2024, faces challenges. Despite high initial hopes for a new alternative to the traditional parties, observers and voters suggest the NCP might underperform due to internal ideological divisions, allegations of corruption against some members, and controversial comparisons of the 2024 uprising to the 1971 War of Independence.
Voter Hopes and Constitutional Reforms
Voter turnout for this election is expected to be significantly higher than in previous polls, which saw historically low participation. Many Bangladeshis expressed profound hopes for a new era free of corruption and marked by greater transparency. Voters told DW they are ‘looking for a better country,’ with ‘corruption and security’ cited as major concerns. The increased involvement of Gen Z was frequently praised for enabling this election to happen, with many hoping it would foster an environment where people ‘speak more.’
Alongside the parliamentary vote, Bangladeshis also cast ballots in a referendum on constitutional reforms, known as the July Charter 2025. Endorsed by 24 parties and approved by the interim government, the charter proposes significant changes aimed at establishing good governance and preventing a ‘recurrence of authoritarian and fascist rule.’ Key proposals include term limits for prime ministers, the creation of a 100-member senate to reduce executive power, and provisions to safeguard judicial independence and election fairness. The referendum requires only a simple majority to pass and, if approved, would bind the next elected government to implement these reforms within 270 days.
Security Deployment Ensures Order
To ensure a peaceful voting process in the politically volatile country, Bangladesh deployed its largest-ever security operation for an election. More than 900,000 security personnel, including over 100,000 army troops, were stationed across the nation’s approximately 43,000 polling stations. Authorities confirmed that nearly 90% of these centers were under CCTV surveillance, with air force drones providing additional monitoring. Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury warned of strict action against any attempts to disrupt the vote, emphasizing the government’s commitment to maintaining order throughout the election period.
The current challenges in accessing official election results, compounded by claims of irregularities from some parties, underscore the critical need for robust and transparent monitoring mechanisms as Bangladesh navigates its transition to a new political landscape. The reliance on unofficial reports, while providing immediate updates, highlights the ongoing efforts required to build public trust and ensure democratic integrity following a period of significant political upheaval.