Bangladesh Election: Where Will Awami League Voters Go After Party Ban?

• Bangladesh's February 12 election marks a dramatic shift from the traditional two-party system, with the Awami League (AL) barred from participating.
• Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party registration has been cancelled, and its organizational machinery dismantled, leaving a political vacuum.
• Many traditional AL voters, estimated at nearly half, are now expected to support the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as the strongest alternative.
• A smaller segment of AL voters is considering parties within the broader anti-BNP front, including Jamaat-e-Islami, or independent candidates.
• Significant disillusionment and potential abstention among core AL supporters, especially in strongholds like Gopalganj, could dramatically impact turnout and election outcomes.