The Election Commission (EC) is poised to announce the schedule of the 13th parliamentary election Wednesday evening or Thursday, leaving behind months of uncertainty and hurdles over whether the polls would take place by mid-February 2026.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin will make the announcement in a recorded speech to be aired in Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar. He met Chief Justic Syed Refaat Ahmed on Tuesday and is due to call on President Mohammed Shahabuddin to complete the constitutional courtesy before releasing the timetable.
The commission says it has completed all preparations to declare the schedule, overcoming the major challenges that stood in the way. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said on Tuesday, “After completing all preparations, arrangements have also been made for a speech on BTV and Betar.”
Leaders of political parties, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, view the upcoming election timetable as a positive development for the country. They say the election is crucial for restoring democratic order and ensuring political stability. However, concerns remain over the law-and-order situation, and they demand improvements to ensure a peaceful election.
The schedule declaration will mark a decisive point in the country’s political transition after the downfall of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian regime in a mass uprising last year.
Her fall followed the formation of the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, tasked with restoring democratic order, vital reforms, trials for mass killings and delivering a credible election, carrying forward the spirit of the July Revolution.
Challenges from the start
The new government pledged a mid-February 2026 polling window, though persistent uncertainty and security concerns kept both voters and parties on edge.
It formed 11 reform commissions and launched genocide trials through the International Crimes Tribunal, aiming to complete these tasks swiftly with the goal of holding parliamentary elections as soon as possible.
To address critical governance reforms, the National Consensus Commission, formed in February this year, sat with political parties repeatedly and drafted the July Declaration in early July. Later, complications arose over preparing the National July Charter, intended to establish a new political framework. Despite disagreements on several issues, most political parties signed the Charter on 17 October.
However, major obstacles then emerged regarding the implementation of the Charter. Eventually, the government decided that a referendum—yes or no—on election day would determine whether the Charter would be enforced.
Since the formation of the consensus commission, deep divisions grew among BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and National Citizens’ Party (NCP) over multiple reform agendas for more than ten months. Daily demonstrations—often blocking roads in the capital—continued as groups pushed for demands. Division among parties that supported the July uprising created anxiety among the public regarding the national election, while the rising presence of mobs contributed to a deteriorating law-and-order environment.
Amid this situation, doubts persisted among citizens and observers as to whether the government could actually hold the election.
Challenges overcome
Prior to announcing the schedule, the government faced three major challenges—reaching a political consensus on elections and the July Charter referendum, ensuring visible progress in the trial of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others involved in crimes against humanity, and maintaining stability.
The government seems to have navigated these challenges successfully, though the law-and-order situation remains somewhat fragile. Even so, the election atmosphere is taking shape and political parties have entered the field.
“All our preparations are finished. Once the schedule is announced, about 20 circulars will be issued under law, including the appointment of returning officers and assistant returning officers,” Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar.
Political parties respond positively
BNP Standing Committee member Selima Rahman expressed satisfaction over the EC’s decision to announce the election schedule. She told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Through voting, this long democracy-deprived country will finally return to its mainstream. For stability and progress, this election is crucial.”
Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General and head of Media Wing, Ehsanul Mahboob Zubair, told TIMES, “We see the announcement positively. But to ensure a free and fair election, the law-and-order situation must improve further. We hope things will get better after the schedule is announced.”
BNP, the largest political party in the absence of the Awami League, has finalised candidates in 272 constituencies. Its main rival, Jamaat-e-Islami, along with allied Islamist and nationalist partners, continues campaigning informally and is expected to release its candidate list soon.
The election announcement, if made today, will not only trigger the formal countdown to the country’s first post-Hasina national vote — it will test whether Bangladesh’s turbulent transition can translate into a competitive, credible election.
