Bangladesh general polls to be held in first half of February: Election body chief

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin told Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha: "The schedule may be announced in early December, two months before the Jatiya Sangsad elections."

This will be the first general polls in the conflict-hit South Asian country since the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina amid severe protests against her government.

'Free, fair and acceptable election'

He said no opportunity will be given to create chaos during the polls.

He said: "However, if any incident occurs, a decision will be taken to stop the voting subject to investigation. The Election Commission will do everything necessary to hold a free, fair and acceptable election."

Bangladesh recently marked the first anniversary of Hasina's ouster.

This will be the 13th Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.

“People have lost trust in the election system, the Election Commission and administration involved in the election process. We are working to restore this lost trust of the people,” the CEC said.
BNP and Tarque Rahman

Bangladesh's former ruling outfit Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)'s acting chairman’s advisor on foreign affairs, Humayun Kabir, has said the political outfit's acting chairperson Tarique Rahman will be the PM if it wins the general polls.

He said Rahman will return to Bangladesh sometime between November and December, reported Prothom Alo.

Kabir was quoted as saying by the newspaper that the  BNP will participate in the upcoming election under the leadership of Tarique Rahman.

The BNP was the key opposition party of the country when the ousted former PM Sheikh Hasina was in power in the country till August 5, 2024.

Claiming that the poll was rigged in Hasina's favour, the BNP did not participate in the polls last year.

During Hasina's regime, he was booked and convicted in cases and even even-handed prison sentences, forcing him to live abroad.

With her mother Khaleda Zia, ailing, Tarique is expected to take the lead role for the party in the polls and become BNP's prime ministerial face.