Bangladesh set for polls, reform referendum amid uncertain voter mood

DHAKA/NEW DELHI: (Jan 31) Bangladesh is going to the polls along with a referendum on reforms in less than two weeks in a dramatically changed political landscape, with the once-dominant Awami League barred from contesting and many voters expressing uncertainty over their choices.

Over 127 million people are eligible to cast their ballots in the February 12 polls, widely regarded as the country's most important election in decades and the first since the mass uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina's rule in August 2024.

Interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has described the dual exercise as a “grand festival” and said it would be the most free, fair and peaceful vote in the country’s history, laying the foundation for what he called a “new Bangladesh”.