After the July 2024 uprising that toppled the regime of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and following pronouncements from the interim government that elections will be held, the election commission announced on 11 December 2025 that Bangladesh will hold elections on 12 February 2026. 

A total of 1,981 candidates are contesting 300 parliamentary seats in the upcoming elections.  A simultaneous referendum on constitutional reforms will also be held.  

The Bangladesh interim government initiated steps toward structural reforms, forming a national consensus to consider and adopt the recommendations of six reform commissions. The July National Charter 2025 was introduced as a foundational document intended to guide the country’s proposed reform agenda, including reforms on the electoral system.

In a pre-election assessment report, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) observed procedural shortcomings and infrastructure limitations in the lead up to the elections. ANFREL also cautioned against anticipated 1) election-related violence, 2)  pervasive use of money power and weak campaign finance accountability, 3) ballot stuffing and manipulation at polling stations, 4) escalating disinformation, including AI-generated content, and 5) weak compliance and enforcement mechanisms.

With the upcoming elections marking the first competitive national vote in 15 years, civic spaces and opportunities for independent assessment of the elections are opening up. Some 330 international observers have been accredited to observe the elections.

For domestic election observer groups, the ANFREL report noted that the sector faces significant constraints stemming from years of restricted civic space, limited experience with competitive elections, and shifting political dynamics following the July 2024 uprising.

In this episode of “The Election Observer” podcast, ANFREL will discuss the central issues that are shaping the electoral environment in Bangladesh and review key areas of the elections drawing from ANFREL’s pre-election assessment as ANFREL prepares to observe the upcoming elections.

ANFREL senior program officer for campaigns and advocacy Tharindu Abeyrathna and 2026 Bangladesh Elections IEOM electoral analysts Asanka Senadeera and Carlo Africa joined us in this episode.

“The Election Observer” podcast streams via ANFREL’s Facebook and LinkedIn Pages and Youtube channel. The episode streams via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.