Bangladesh is going into its 13th general elections on February 12 after the nationwide protest ousted former PM Sheikh Hasina. This is the first election after student protests in August 2024. Massive security deployment of nearly 1 million personnel is in place. For the first time, drones and body-worn cameras are being used for election security.
The voting is underway in 299 out of 300 parliamentary constituencies except for one constituency owing to a candidate's death. 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties and 273 independents are in the poll fray. Approximately 4%, or 83, of the total candidates are female. The primary contest is between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its once ally, Jamaat-e-Islami. Hasina's Awami League was barred by the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.