Votes are being counted in Bangladesh after the country held its first election since student-led protests ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. More than 2,000 candidates are vying for a seat in parliament, though none from Hasina's now-banned Awami League party. As many as 1,400 protesters were killed during the 2024 uprising, the UN says - with Hasina accused of having directly ordered the crackdown, an allegation she denies. The election pits the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) against a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami which has joined forces with a party born out of the student uprising. Results are expected on Friday. Voters were also casting their ballots in a referendum on constitutional change proposed by the interim government to fix what it has called a completely broken political system. Nearly a million police and soldiers have been deployed to maintain law and order. Speaking after voting, interim leader Muhammad Yunus said the country had 'ended the nightmare and begun a new dream'. He voted in the capital Dhaka, as did the two leading candidates, Tarique Rahman for the BNP and Jamaat's leader Shafiqur Rahman.
Bangladesh Holds Historic Election Following Gen Z Uprising
Bangladesh Holds Historic Election Following Gen Z Uprising
As Bangladesh votes for its first parliamentary election since the student-led protests that ousted Sheikh Hasina in 2024, over 2000 candidates compete amidst heightened security and political tensions.
In a significant political shift, Bangladesh is counting votes from its first election since the 2024 protests led to the ousting of Sheikh Hasina. More than 2,000 candidates, excluding Hasina's party, contest for parliamentary seats. The election outcome will determine a coalition led by the BNP or the Jamaat-e-Islami, following a tumultuous period marked by widespread protests and significant casualties.
