Preliminary Statement: "A credible electoral process propels the renewal of democracy"
Summary
The 2026 parliamentary elections were, credible and competently managed, marking a pivotal step towards restoring democratic governance and rule of law. For the first time since 2008, elections were genuinely competitive, conducted under a renewed legal framework that largely accords with international standards and with fundamental freedoms broadly respected. However, sporadic, localised political violence and persistent fear of mob attacks, often triggered by manipulated online narratives, harmed the democratic process. The limited political space afforded to women undermined their equal participation. The Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) worked independently and transparently, maintaining the confidence of stakeholders, and upholding the integrity of the polls.
The electoral legal framework is conducive to the conduct of democratic elections, with the 2025 amendments strengthening inclusion and credibility. Further reform is, however, required to enhance legal certainty and close loopholes that diminish institutional accountability and transparency, as well as to revise or repeal laws that unduly restrict freedom of expression.
The newly appointed EC adopted a proactive approach to rebuilding public trust in the elections, enabled and supported by the Interim Government and other stakeholders. The EC displayed transparency and openness, responding promptly to media queries, sharing information of public interest, and maintaining dialogue with political parties. However, its new and stringent campaign rules were not consistently enforced, at times feeding perceptions of bias and generating grievances about an uneven playing field in some constituencies, voiced by many parties, including the two main electoral alliances.
Election day preparations were undertaken both, professionally and on time, lending integrity to the polls amid a generally positive atmosphere. Some 770,000 voters living abroad were enfranchised through a postal ballot; the training of more than 850,000 polling staff was well-delivered; and the distribution of materials went smoothly. On election day, dedicated poll workers managed the voting efficiently, while the constant presence of party agents from both major coalitions enhanced integrity. Regrettably, less than half of voting places were accessible to voters with reduced mobility, limiting their right to independent participation, in the absence of the right to a postal ballot.
Vote counting and tabulation of results were competently handled, yet integrity safeguards were not uniformly implemented. Whilst efficient, the requisite checks were not always performed during ballot counts. Party agents could follow the process and regular updates on constituency results were released by returning officers, which helped to build public confidence in the accuracy of the results.
The candidate registration process laid the foundation for genuinely competitive elections. The EC efficiently and transparently handled 645 appeals, reinstating two-thirds of appellants, effectively upholding the right to stand. Some 2,000 candidates contested, including 275 independents. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP-) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI-) led alliances were the primary contenders in the field of 51 contesting parties. Student leaders, who spearheaded the 2024 uprising, for the most part either stood as independents or within the National Citizens Party (NCP) that was in a seat-sharing agreement with JeI. Overall, voters were offered a broad range of political alternatives.
The campaign was dynamic and candidates enjoyed freedom of assembly and expression. Key contenders held mass rallies, drawing hundreds of thousands in person and tens of millions more online.
At the local level, campaign banners draped the streets, and marches and door-to-door canvassing
dominated. By the end of the campaign, rhetoric heightened, with the focus shifting from policies to personal insults and mutual allegations of misconduct, amplified in social media, with JeI-leaning networks far more effective in attracting interest than those for BNP. Intra-party conflicts, local patronage networks and varying financial means affected the playing field in several constituencies.
Women candidates were, regrettably, almost absent from these elections. Only four per cent of the contestants were women, with BNP fielding 10, and NCP two candidates, while JeI and 30 other parties did not have any, evidencing a clear lack of political will to advance women in national politics, despite apparent commitments in the July Charter. Other deterrents included patriarchy, discrimination, digital and physical harassment and character assassination.
Indigenous communities and religious minorities felt their hopes for improvement of their situation dashed by the absence of special measures to ensure their political representation, either in present law or in the July Charter. They also were concerned by increasing religious overtones within public discourse, including online, and expressed an entrenched fear of physical violence.
Sporadic political violence peaked during the first week of February, but the impact of these incidents remained localised and did not indicate any systematic pattern. The EU EOM received and corroborated reports of some 56 campaign-related incidents involving physical violence, resulting in at least 200 casualties in 27 districts; the IG cited five deaths linked to political activity since calling the elections. Episodes of intimidation and harassment of campaigners, particularly women, and attacks on property, were also reported. Most incidents pitted BNP and JeI supporters against one another, with former BNP affiliates, contesting as independents, also frequently embroiled in confrontations.
The digital quest for the 55.6-million strong youth vote was equally fierce, leaving little space for respectful political debate. The EU EOM identified at least 20 viral disinformation incidents, with manipulative content reaching at least 1 million views each within 24-hours. Influencers and deceptive media accounts, including some from outside Bangladesh, were the prime vector of disinformation on Facebook and TikTok. National fact-checking initiatives countered those narratives, yet social media platforms were slow to respond, enabling the pollution of the digital information environment.
Several private media outlets made efforts to offer balanced coverage of elections, yet the BNP received most of the visibility. Sustained pressure from state and non-state actors, economic vulnerability, incidents of digital-led violence and harassment, alongside inadequate police protection, curbed media freedom and fostered self-censorship, reducing the space for analytical reporting. In the positive, some talk shows were held with several contestants, helping voters to make informed choices.
Civil society made an important contribution to restoring public trust in the electoral process. Eighty-one citizen observer groups were accredited to monitor the polls, adding to transparency. Young activists engaged in nation-wide voter education activities, aimed to close digital literacy gaps, campaigned for a “yes” vote in the referendum and advocated enhanced respect for human rights.