With barely three weeks left before polling day, the parliamentary election has become the defining national conversation in Bangladesh, as formal campaigning transforms streets, villages and digital spaces into battlegrounds for political power.
In the absence of Awami League–the party Sheikh Hasina led before her ouster as prime minister in August 2024–some 51 political parties are now competing for votes, reshaping the electoral landscape.
The contest is rapidly consolidating around two rival camps: one led by BNP, now the country’s largest political party and the other led by Jamaat-e-Islami, the most influential Islamist force in national politics.
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman launched his campaign from Sylhet while Jamaat’s ameer began his from the capital. Their opening addresses have already set the tone for a high-stakes confrontation with sharp rhetoric signalling a bruising campaign ahead.
The 13th National Parliamentary Election, the most consequential since the 2008 election, has moved decisively from institutional procedure to mass mobilisation. Candidates’ names, party symbols and electoral calculations now dominate everyday conversations, spilling into markets, neighbourhoods and social media feeds.
Across districts and upazilas, candidates are turning to street rallies, religious gatherings, processions and door-to-door canvassing to mobilise voters.
With 1,973 candidates officially in the race and voting scheduled for 12 February, intensity of campaign is likely to escalate as polling day draws closer.
