Bangladesh to vote Feb 12; first election since Hasina's ouster

• Bangladesh will hold general elections on February 12, 2026, the first since Sheikh Hasina's government was ousted in August 2024.
• A referendum on reform proposals from the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus-led National Consensus Commission will be held simultaneously.
• The election schedule includes nomination submission by December 29, withdrawal by January 20, and campaigns from January 22 to February 10.
• The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami are frontrunners, as Hasina's Awami League has been disbanded.
• The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student protest leaders, has allied with other parties to form the 'Gonotantrik Sangskar Jote.'

Why It Matters: Bangladesh's upcoming election signals a new political chapter after recent turmoil.