Bangladesh begins official campaigning on Thursday for hugely anticipated general elections next month, the first since the 2024 uprising ended the autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina.
The South Asian nation of 170 million people votes on February 12 for 350 lawmakers, ushering in new leadership after prolonged political turmoil following the overthrow of Hasina's government, reshaping domestic and regional power dynamics.
kAmxE 4@>6D 282:?DE E96 324<5C@A @7 :?D64FC:EJ \\ :?4=F5:?8 E96 >FC56C =2DE >@?E9 @7 2 DEF56?E =6256C @7 E96 2?E:\w2D:?2 AC@E6DED \\ 2D H6== 2D H2C?:?8D @7 2 Q7=@@5Q @7 @?=:?6 5:D:?7@C>2E:@?]k^Am
kAmtFC@A62? &?:@? 6=64E:@? @3D6CG6CD D2J E96 G@E6 H:== 36 E96 Q3:886DE 56>@4C2E:4 AC@46DD @7 a_aeQ]k^Am
kAm|2DD C2==:6D 2C6 6IA64E65 H:E9 9F?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 DFAA@CE6CD 82E96C:?8[ 2D E96 7C@?ECF??6CD E96 q2?8=256D9 }2E:@?2=:DE !2CEJ Wq}!X 2?5 E96 =2C86DE xD=2>:DE A2CEJ[ y2>22E\6\xD=2>:[ 7@C>2==J =2F?49 E96:C 42>A2:8?D]k^Am
k9am\ $F7: D9C:?6 \k^9am
kAmq}! 49:67 2?5 AC:>6 >:?:DE6C:2= 9@A67F= %2C:BF6 #29>2?[ e_[ H9@ C6EFC?65 E@ q2?8=256D9 :? s646>36C 27E6C `f J62CD :? 6I:=6[ :D 5F6 E@ 255C6DD 2 DEC:?8 @7 C2==:6D DE2CE:?8 :? E96 ?@CE9\62DE6C? 4:EJ @7 $J=96E]k^Am
kAm#29>2? 2DDF>65 7@C>2= =6256CD9:A @7 E96 q}! 27E6C E96 562E9 :? s646>36C @7 9:D >@E96C[ g_\J62C\@=5 7@C>6C AC:>6 >:?:DE6C z92=652 +:2]k^Am
kAmq2?8=256D9[ 9@>6 E@ @?6 @7 E96 H@C=5VD =2C86DE |FD=:>\>2;@C:EJ A@AF=2E:@?D[ 92D 2 D:8?:7:42?E $F7: 7@==@H:?8[ 2?5 A2CE:6D 92G6 EC25:E:@?2==J =2F?4965 42>A2:8?D :? $J=96E[ 9@>6 E@ E96 46?EFC:6D\@=5 D9C:?6 @7 $929 y2=2=]k^Am
kAm{:?6D @7 DFAA@CE6CD =:?65 3@E9 D:56D E96 DEC66ED 2D #29>2? AC2J65 2E E96 D9C:?6 @? (65?6D52J ?:89E[ 4966C:?8 2D 9:D 6=64E:@? 3FD A2DD65 3J[ H:E9 9:D 4@F?ECJH:56 C@25D9@H @7 C2==:6D E@ 368:? =2E6C %9FCD52J]k^Am
kAmy2>22E\6\xD=2>:[ H9:49 @AA@D6D $F7: >JDE:42= :?E6CAC6E2E:@?D @7 E96 z@C2?[ 368:?D :ED 42>A2:8? :? E96 42A:E2= s92<2[ :? E96 4@?DE:EF6?4J @7 :ED =6256C $927:BFC #29>2?]k^Am
kAmx56@=@8:42==J 2=:8?65 H:E9 E96 |FD=:> qC@E96C9@@5[ E96 xD=2>:DED 2C6 D66<:?8 2 C6EFC? E@ 7@C>2= A@=:E:4D 27E6C J62CD @7 32?D 2?5 4C24<5@H?D]k^Am
kAm$:?46 w2D:?2 7=65 E@ x?5:2[ <6J xD=2>:DE =6256CD 92G6 366? C6=62D65 7C@> AC:D@?[ 2?5 xD=2>:DE 8C@FAD 92G6 8C@H? :?4C62D:?8=J 2DD6CE:G6]k^Am
kAm%96 }2E:@?2= r:E:K6? !2CEJ W}r!X[ 7@C>65 3J DEF56?E =6256CD H9@ DA62C962565 E96 FAC:D:?8[ 2?5 H9@ 92G6 7@C>65 2? 2==:2?46 H:E9 y2>22E[ H:== 2=D@ =2F?49 E96:C C2==J :? s92<2]k^Am
k9am\ V}6H q2?8=256D9V \k^9am
kAm|F92>>25 *F?FD[ E96 gd\J62C\@=5 }@36= !6246 !C:K6 =2FC62E6[ H9@ C6EFC?65 7C@> 6I:=6 :? pF8FDE a_ac 2E E96 3696DE @7 AC@E6DE6CD E@ =625 2 42C6E2<6C 8@G6C?>6?E 2D Q49:67 25G:D6CQ[ H:== DE6A 5@H? 27E6C E96 A@==D]k^Am
kAm*F?FD D2:5 96 :?96C:E65 2 Q4@>A=6E6=J 3C@<6?Q A@=:E:42= DJDE6>[ 2?5 492>A:@?65 2 C67@C> 492CE6C 96 2C8F6D :D G:E2= E@ AC6G6?E 2 C6EFC? E@ 2FE9@C:E2C:2? CF=6[ H:E9 2 C676C6?5F> @? E96 492?86D E@ 36 96=5 @? E96 D2>6 52J 2D A@==:?8]k^Am
kAmw6 D2JD E96 C67@C>D H:== DEC6?8E96? 4964<D 2?5 32=2?46D 36EH66? E96 6I64FE:G6[ ;F5:4:2= 2?5 =68:D=2E:G6 3C2?496D]Â k^Am
kAmQx7 J@F 42DE E96 VJ6DV G@E6[ E96 5@@C E@ 3F:=5:?8 E96 ?6H q2?8=256D9 H:== @A6?[Q *F?FD D2:5 @? y2?F2CJ `h[ :? 2 3C@2542DE E@ E96 ?2E:@? FC8:?8 DFAA@CE 7@C E96 C676C6?5F>]k^Am
kAmt2C=:6C E9:D >@?E9[ 96 H2C?65 &} C:89ED 49:67 '@=<6C %FC< @7 2 Q7=@@5Q @7 >:D:?7@C>2E:@? E2C86E:?8 E96 A@==D[ D2J:?8 96 H2D Q4@?46C?65 23@FE E96 :>A24EQ 5:D:?7@C>2E:@? 4@F=5 92G6]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 92G6 7=@@565 D@4:2= >65:2 H:E9 72<6 ?6HD[ CF>@FCD 2?5 DA64F=2E:@?[Q *F?FD D2:5[ 3=2>:?8 3@E9 Q7@C6:8? >65:2 2?5 =@42= D@FC46DQ]k^Am
kAm#6=2E:@?D H:E9 ?6:893@FC:?8 x?5:2 92G6 D@FC65[ 27E6C w2D:?2 6D42A65 E@ 96C @=5 2==J }6H s6=9: 2D AC@E6DE6CD DE@C>65 96C A2=246]k^Am
kAmw2D:?2[ fg[ D6?E6?465 E@ 562E9 :? 23D6?E:2 :? }@G6>36C 7@C 4C:>6D 282:?DE 9F>2?:EJ 7@C E96 5625=J 4C24<5@H? @? AC@E6DE6CD :? 96C 72:=65 3:5 E@ 4=:?8 E@ A@H6C[ C6>2:?D :? 9:5:?8 :? x?5:2]k^Am
kAmD2\A;>^23Dk^Am
