Polls open in Bangladesh’s first elections since the 2024 uprising that ousted Hasina

Dhaka, Bangladesh– Polling stations across Bangladesh opened their doors on Thursday for voters to cast their votes in the parliamentary elections, which are seen as a crucial test of democracy. Democracy in the country After years of political turmoil.

After a slow start, crowds flocked to polling stations in the capital, Dhaka, and elsewhere by mid-morning. The voting process continues until Thursday, and the results are expected to appear on Friday.

More than 127 million people They are entitled to vote in the first elections in Bangladesh since the previous elections Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina The government collapsed in 2024 after weeks of mass protests. Hasina fled the country Her party is banned from the ballot box. She lives in exile in India.

Tariq Rahman The leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is considered the most prominent competitor to form the next government. He is the son of the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia He returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self-imposed exile in London. Rahman pledged to rebuild democratic institutions, restore the rule of law and revive the faltering economy.

The challenge to the BNP is an 11-party coalition led by BNP Islamic groupIt is the country’s largest Islamist party, which was banned under Hasina but has gained prominence since her ouster. The growing influence of the conservative religious group has raised concerns, especially among women and men Minority communitiesThat social freedoms could come under pressure if they come to power. Bangladesh is more than 90% Muslim, while about 8% is Hindu.

Shafiqur Rahman, leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, expressed his optimism after casting his vote at a polling station.

“It (the election) is a turning point,” he told the Associated Press. “People are demanding change. They want change. We want change, too.”

The vote is taking place under an interim government headed by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad YounisShe said she was committed to holding credible and transparent elections. As part of this effort, about 500 international observers and foreign journalists will attend, including delegations from the European Union and the Commonwealth, of which Bangladesh belongs.

The Bangladesh Parliament has 350 seats, including 300 directly elected from single-member constituencies and 50 seats reserved for women. Legislators are chosen by majority, and Parliament serves a term of five years. The Election Commission recently postponed voting in one of the electoral districts after the death of one of the candidates.

The elections could reshape internal stability in Bangladesh, a country whose post-1971 history since gaining independence from Pakistan has been characterized by entrenched political parties, military coups and allegations of voter fraud. Young votersMany of them are expected to play a central role in the 2024 uprising and be influential. About 5 million first-time voters are eligible to vote.

Voter Ikramul Haq (28 years old) said, “I think it is a very decisive election because this is the first time we can express our opinion freely,” adding that the previous elections were not fair at all.

“We celebrate the elections. It’s like a festival here,” he said. “I hope Bangladesh will see tremendous change.”

Thursday’s elections constitute a critical test not only of leadership, but also of confidence in Bangladesh’s democratic future. Voters can say “yes” to support the major reform proposals that emerge from it National Charter It was signed by the major political parties last year.

If a majority of voters favor a referendum, the newly elected parliament can set up a Constitutional Reform Council to make changes within 180 working days of its first session. The proposals include creating new constitutional bodies and changing parliament from a unicameral body to a bicameral legislature with an upper chamber with the power to amend the constitution by a majority vote.

Both the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami signed the document with some changes after initially expressing some opposition. Hasina’s Awami League, a major party, and some of its former allies were excluded from the discussion. The referendum continues to be criticized because it limits the choices offered to voters.