"Voting has started in Bangladesh's first general election since Gen Z mass protests toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Follow DW for more. Elections seen as a critical test of democracy after years of political turmoil. General election seen as pivotal for Bangladesh's stability. Frontrunners are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami. Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party is banned from contesting the election. More than 127 million people are eligible to vote. Polls opened at 7.30 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Thursday and close at 4:30 p.m., with results expected by Friday."
"Bangladeshis are also voting in a referendum on constitutional reform. If passed, it would reshape the country's system of governance. The referendum focuses on implementing the so-called July Charter 2025. This was drafted after the 2024 protests and has been endorsed by 24 parties. The charter lays out wide ranging constitutional, electoral, and institutional reforms. It aims to establish good governance and democracy through institutional reforms and prevent a "recurrence of authoritarian and fascist rule". While the interim government has approved the charter's implementation, it says public approval is necessary for key changes."
Bangladesh held its first general election since the 2024 Gen Z mass protests that toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Awami League was banned from contesting, leaving the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami as frontrunners. More than 127 million people were eligible to vote; polls opened at 07:30 and closed at 16:30, with results expected by Friday. Voters also faced a referendum to implement the July Charter 2025, a package of constitutional, electoral, and institutional reforms drafted after the 2024 protests and endorsed by 24 parties to reshape governance and guard against authoritarian recurrence.
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