Bangladesh will hold national elections on February 12, 2026, with 127 million voters expected to cast ballots. This vote follows 18 months after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. Hasina, a major figure who ruled from 1996 to 2001 and again from 2009 until August 2024, stepped down after a crackdown on protests that caused about 1,400 deaths. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus now leads an interim government. Bangladesh, home to over 173 million people, is the world’s eighth most populous country. Its economy grew 3.97% in the fiscal year ending June 2025, slowing from the previous year’s 4.22%. The country is very young, with 44% of voters aged 18 to 37. Nearly 5 million are first-time voters. Bangladesh is also one of the most crowded countries, with 1,366 people per square kilometer. Dhaka, the capital, has more than 37 million residents. Bangladesh is a parliamentary republic. The prime minister heads the government, chosen by the party holding the most seats in the 350-seat parliament. Fifty seats are reserved for women. The nation is divided into eight divisions and 64 districts. In the 2026 election, 59 parties are registered but Awami League, Hasina’s party, is banned from running. Fifty-one parties will contest 1,981 candidates, including 249 independents. Key parties include the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman, the Jamaat-e-Islami Islamic party allied with the National Citizen Party (NCP), and two factions of the Jatiya Party. The NCP, formed by leaders of the 2024 youth uprising, promises citizen-led reforms. Historically, Bangladesh’s politics have been shaped by swings between the Awami League and BNP. The Awami League has dominated elections since 2008. The BNP and Jamaat have faced bans and boycotts amid claims of unfair elections. Since independence in 1971, Bangladesh has endured military coups, assassinations of leaders, and shifting alliances. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding leader, was killed in 1975. His daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived abroad. Military rulers Ziaur Rahman and Hussain Muhammad Ershad followed. The 1990s saw a return to democracy with alternating governments led by Khaleda Zia (BNP) and Sheikh Hasina (Awami League). Hasina’s long rule until 2024 ended amid protests and political unrest. Now, Bangladesh’s largest-ever youth voter base and a crowded political field face a defining election on February 12.