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7mo ago

Bangladesh Opens Campaigning for Post-Hasina Election as BNP–Jamaat Rivalry Intensifies

The vote will be held under Muhammad Yunus’s interim administration with a reform referendum scheduled the same day.

Head of Bangladesh's interim government Muhammad Yunus, second right, with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, second left, watch an audio visual during the inauguration of the July Uprising Memorial Museum, once the official residence of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Head of Bangladesh's interim government Muhammad Yunus, center, looks at an exhibit during the inauguration of the July Uprising Memorial Museum, once the official residence of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Image
Head of Bangladesh's interim government Muhammad Yunus, center, with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, inaugurate the July Uprising Memorial Museum, once the official residence of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

Overview

  • Official campaigning began on January 22 for the February 12 parliamentary polls, with major rallies kicking off in Sylhet for the BNP and in Dhaka for Jamaat-e-Islami.
  • BNP, Jamaat, and the National Citizen Party pressed the interim government and Election Commission over perceived bias, warning that credibility is at stake.
  • Street tensions escalated as BNP and Jamaat activists clashed in Dhaka’s Mirpur and in Cumilla district, leaving several people injured after disputes over campaign access and alleged voter data requests.
  • New reporting alleges a targeted Jamaat strategy using constituency-level analysis, postal ballot mobilisation for expatriate supporters, and door-to-door data collection, though these claims remain unconfirmed by the party.
  • With the Awami League out, the race is largely a head-to-head between the BNP-led alliance and a Jamaat-anchored bloc, as campaigns wage a digital fight for Gen Z voters and observers warn about disinformation and minority safety.