DHAKA, Bangladesh

Bangladesh announced on Thursday that general elections and a referendum on state institution reforms would be held in mid-February next year, marking a significant shift in the country's political landscape since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to neighboring India in the face of an uprising on Aug. 5 last year.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin made the much-anticipated announcement that general elections will be held on Feb. 12, 2026, in a national television broadcast.

The CEC also announced that overseas Bangladeshis would be able to vote in the election for the first time via postal ballots.

Approximately 127.6 million voters will choose their representatives in the 300-member parliament. The election will last nine hours, with the electoral body increasing the voting time from previous elections by one hour.

People will vote on major reforms, including proposed key constitutional amendments, in a referendum on the same day, the announcement said.

According to the election schedule, political parties will file nominations for candidates on Dec. 29, and after all legal formalities are completed, political parties and candidates will be able to participate in the election campaign beginning Jan. 22, 2026.

The interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus has claimed that authorities are working to restore the electoral body's reputation by ensuring that the upcoming election is conducted fairly, as the previous Hasina governments were largely blamed for non-participation, dummy, and rigging in the last three national elections since 2014.

Meanwhile, interim government head Muhammad Yunus said in a statement that the election announcement marked an important milestone in Bangladesh's democratic journey. This election and referendum will solidify the country's new path following the historic uprising in 2024, he said.

He promised that the interim government would provide the Bangladesh Election Commission with all of the resources it needs to hold the election and referendum in a festive, participatory, and completely fair manner.

Meanwhile, the main political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, welcomed the announcement of the election date in their initial reactions.

Earlier in June, Yunus announced that the election would take place in the first half of February 2026.

The election will be contested by 56 registered political parties as well as independent candidates.

However, Hasina's Awami League Party will not run in the election because the interim government has already suspended the party's registration for alleged crimes against humanity during last year's uprising.

A local court sentenced Hasina, the Awami League chief, to death on charges of crimes against humanity. According to the UN, approximately 1,400 people were killed in the uprising.

To ensure a peaceful election, the interim government amended the law to allow for the deployment of military personnel in addition to police and other law enforcement.