Bangladesh General Election 2025 [Latest Update]

13th National Election in Bangladesh, 2025

Pressure has been growing on Yunus, appointed the country’s “chief adviser” after the student-led uprising that toppled ex-premier Sheikh Hasina, to set a date for elections.

Bangladesh’s army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, whose refusal to support Hasina during the deadly student protests led to her departure, said in September that democracy should be restored within 12 to 18 months.

Opposition parties including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of two dominant parties in the country alongside the Awami League, have also called for elections to be held as soon as possible.

Historical Overview of Bangladesh National Elections

The Jatiya Sangsad, Bangladesh’s parliament, has been elected 11 times since the country’s independence in 1971. The first election was held on 7 March 1973 under the 1972 constitution, The Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a landslide victory. The most recent was held on 30 December 2018.

In August 1975, the Awami League government was overthrown in a military coup. Ziaur Rahman, a general in the Bangladesh Army, became the president of Bangladesh. He ruled Bangladesh as a military dictator until his assassination in 1981. The BNP won the 1979 parliamentary elections, but the results were disputed by the Awami League.

The military stepped in again in 1982, and H.M. Ershad became the new president. He held two parliamentary elections, in 1986 and 1988, but both were marred by irregularities.

In 1991, the first democratic election since 1975 was held. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party won the election, ending 16 years of military rule.

The BNP again won in 1996 (February) but was boycotted by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Awami League. The government initially refused to dissolve parliament and hold elections under a neutral caretaker government, but they were forced to do so after public protests and the passage of the 13th Amendment.

The Bangladesh Awami League won the most seats in the June 1996 general election for the first time since 1973 but did not have enough seats to form a majority government. They formed a coalition government with other parties to form a government.

The 2001 Bangladeshi general election was held on October 1, 2001. 1,935 candidates from 54 parties and 484 independents contested for the 300 single-seat constituencies of the Jatiya Sangsad. This was the second election held under the caretaker government concept, which was introduced in 1996. The Four Party Alliance of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Jatiya Party (Manju), and Islami Oikya Jote won the election. BNP leader Khaleda Zia became the Prime Minister.

The Awami League won the 2008 elections, and Sheikh Hasina returned to power as prime minister.

The Awami League won the 2014 and 2018 elections, and Sheikh Hasina became prime minister for a third and fourth time. The BNP boycotted the elections, alleging that they would be rigged.

The Bangladesh elections have been marred by violence and allegations of fraud. The 1991 election was the first to be widely accepted as free and fair. However, the 1996, 2014, and 2018 elections were all marred by violence and allegations of fraud.

Despite the problems, the Bangladesh elections are still considered to be the most democratic process in the country. The elections provide a forum for the people to express their will and choose their leaders.

The next parliamentary elections in Bangladesh are scheduled to be held in January 2024. The Awami League and the BNP are the two main contenders, and the election is expected to be closely contested.