Politics

Bangladesh is set to conduct parliamentary elections on February 12, officials announced. This will be the first national election since a violent student-led uprising last year that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India. Since then, an interim government led by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has been in charge. However, this administration is facing new protests over slow reforms, along with threats of unrest from Hasina's party, which is not allowed to participate in the elections. In a sign of the ongoing instability, President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was appointed to his mainly ceremonial position by Hasina, stated he will resign after the elections, midway through his term, expressing to Reuters that he feels humiliated by Yunus's government. Voters are particularly worried about restoring democracy, revitalizing the important garment industry, and mending relations with India, which have become tense since Hasina sought refuge there. Approximately 128 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots at over 42,000 polling stations across 300 constituencies. The election will coincide with a referendum on the proposed “July Charter,” a reform plan created after the unrest, as stated by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin during a national broadcast. This Charter suggests significant changes to government institutions, such as limiting executive powers, enhancing judicial independence, and preventing the abuse of law enforcement. Yunus has called this an “important milestone.”