Bangladeshis will cast ballots Thursday in a crucial national election, the first since a mass uprising ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule. Public expectation is high that the vote could reset democratic norms after years of disputed elections.
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Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyInspired by Picasso, an AP photographer visualizes a blind person ‘seeing’ art'Ticking environmental time bomb.' Illegal cannabis farms poison California’s forests.Worries about flying seem to be taking off. Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyFDA to reassess the safety of BHA, a preservative used in popular snack foodsMeta and YouTube to face claims of social media addiction in children in landmark trialRelationship experts and couples say romance doesn't need grand gestures to thriveCatholic cross like no other is a beacon of unity in Olympic host city Milan“God bless America”: por qué el show de medio tiempo de Bad Bunny resonó más allá de EEUU Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyInspired by Picasso, an AP photographer visualizes a blind person ‘seeing’ art'Ticking environmental time bomb.' Illegal cannabis farms poison California’s forests.Worries about flying seem to be taking off. Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyFDA to reassess the safety of BHA, a preservative used in popular snack foodsMeta and YouTube to face claims of social media addiction in children in landmark trialRelationship experts and couples say romance doesn't need grand gestures to thriveCatholic cross like no other is a beacon of unity in Olympic host city Milan“God bless America”: por qué el show de medio tiempo de Bad Bunny resonó más allá de EEUUBangladesh will see an election Thursday that is the country’s most consequential. It follows youth-led protests 18 months ago that overthrew the government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and ushered Bangladesh into an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.Commuters travel on rickshaws in a market on the eve of national election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman, centre, and other leaders hold their election symbol during the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman and other leaders attend the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman, second right in front, greets to the supporters as he arrives to attend the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Bangladesh will see an election Thursday that is the country’s most consequential. It follows youth-led protests 18 months ago that overthrew the government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and ushered Bangladesh into an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.Commuters travel on rickshaws in a market on the eve of national election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Commuters travel on rickshaws in a market on the eve of national election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman, centre, and other leaders hold their election symbol during the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman, centre, and other leaders hold their election symbol during the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman and other leaders attend the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman and other leaders attend the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman, second right in front, greets to the supporters as he arrives to attend the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman, second right in front, greets to the supporters as he arrives to attend the last day of an election rally for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque, organized by the eleven party alliance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. will cast ballots on Thursday in a crucial national election, the first since a mass uprising ended the 15-year rule of former. Public expectation is running high that the vote could help reset democratic norms after more than a decade of disputed elections and shrinking political space.eligible voters in the nation of some 170 million people, with 1,981 candidates contesting parliamentary seats nationwide. The Yunus-led administration has stated that it is committed to holding elections that are free, fair and peaceful. To help ensure this, around 500 foreign observers will be present, including from the European Union and the The vote also introduces a significant procedural change. Bangladeshi citizens living abroad will be able to participate through a postal voting system for the first time. The move is intended to broaden electoral participation by including the country’s large expatriate population. Bangladesh’s national legislature comprises 350 lawmakers. Of these, 300 are elected directly from single-member constituencies, while an additional 50 seats are reserved for women. Elections are conducted under a first-past-the-post system, and each Parliament serves a five-year term.The election will also include a referendum for political reforms that include prime ministerial term limits, stronger checks on executive power and other safeguards preventing parliamentary power consolidation. Whether the process delivers genuine institutional reform or continues to support existing power structures will shape Bangladesh’s domestic stability, which has been marked by periods of military rule and weak democratic structures since its independence from Pakistan in 1971. “The future of Bangladesh is in the hands of its citizens and elected leaders to ensure the country’s stability as a rights-respecting democracy,” said Catherine Cooper, staff attorney at the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center. She said it is critical that the newly-elected government “prioritize and protect civic space, allowing civil society, the press, political opposition, and all citizens to speak without fear of repression.” The election results will also serve as an important test of whether popular protest movements by young people can translate into durable democratic change. Nearly 5 million people are new voters and will be casting their ballots for the first time.Bangladesh’s political landscape has for decades revolved around two rival dynasties. On one side is the Awami League, headed by Hasina, the daughter of the country’s founding president. Opposing it is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, now led byRahman returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self exile and has promised to rebuild democratic institutions, restore the rule of law and revive the economy., which is seeking to expand its influence in national politics. Jamaat-e-Islami was banned under Hasina but has gained influence since her ouster.The election is going to be the first since the ouster of Hasina, who now lives in exile in India. She wasin absentia last year by a special tribunal under the Yunus-led administration. The charges against her relate to crimes against humanity over the deaths of hundreds of people during the 2024 uprising.with The Associated Press from her exile in India, she denounced the decision to exclude her party from taking part in the election.An increasingly urgent concern in Bangladesh is the rising prominence of hard-line groups. Their influence has raised alarms about the rights and safety of women and. Minority communities, particularly Hindus, report increased intimidation and incidents of violence, deepening fears about their place in the Muslim-majority nation. There are growing concerns that the Islamist coalition could exploit these tensions to reassert political influence.Saaliq covers news across India and the South Asia region for The Associated Press, often focusing on politics, democracy, conflict and religion. He is based in New Delhi.
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