DHAKA: Bangladesh&#39;s election campaign ended Monday ahead of this week&#39;s vote, with rival parties invoking the 2024 uprising that ended the autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina. Tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters attended a succession of rival rallies across the sprawling capital Dhaka, as parties sought to harness the legacy of the mass uprising and pitch competing visions of change for the country of 170 million in Thursday&#39;s election. The Muslim-majority nation will elect a 350-seat parliament, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)&mdash;led by Tarique Rahman, who returned in December after 17 years in exile&mdash;widely tipped as a frontrunner. The BNP&#39;s key rival is Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh&#39;s largest Islamist party that is led by Shafiqur Rahman and has allied with the National Citizen Party (NCP) that was formed by student leaders who spearheaded the uprising. Prime ministerial hopeful Tarique Rahman appeared confident as he bounced on stage to address a crowd of thousands of BNP loyalists who waved flags and the party symbol, a sheaf of rice, and greeted their leader as if at a rock concert. &quot;The BNP alone has a plan to run the country and the experience to do so,&quot; he said, referring to his late parents, Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, who both led the nation. &quot;No other parties have that.&quot; Tarique Rahman, 60, better known in Bangladesh as Tarique Zia, assumed leadership of the BNP from his mother, Khaleda Zia, who died in December at the age of 80. Police ringed the stage as he spoke and watched from the tops of tower blocks, surveying the crowd. In his closing speech for the campaign, broadcast on state television, he also reached out to the 10 percent of Bangladeshis who are not Muslim -- the majority of which who are Hindus. &quot;Bangladesh is a land of Muslims, non-Muslims, agnostics, and people from both the plains and the hills,&quot; he said. &#39;Justice&#39;&nbsp;Hasina was overthrown on August 5, 2024, after 15 years in power, and her Awami League party was banned by the interim government from running in the elections, a move criticized by rights groups. The 78-year-old, known for her iron-fisted rule, was sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity for the deadly crackdown on protesters in her failed bid to cling to power and remains in hiding in India. Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman, 67, leading a coalition of Islamist parties ideologically aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood&mdash;under the symbol of weighing scales&mdash;also headed packed rallies. &quot;If Jamaat comes to power, extortion and violence will reduce,&quot; said Ashikuzzaman Shaon, a 21-year-old student. &quot;They&#39;ll establish justice.&quot; The Jamaat chief has accused the former ruling party of widespread repression but also warned that new forms of abuse had quickly followed its fall,&nbsp;alleging extortion and corruption by returning political figures. &quot;We want to build a country of unity with everyone on board,&quot; he said Monday, in a speech broadcast on state television. &quot;It will be a country where nobody gets the driving seat because of their family background.&quot; If successful, the former political prisoner could form the first Islamist-led government in constitutionally secular Bangladesh. &#39;Long live the revolution&#39;&nbsp;Jamaat&#39;s ally, NCP leader Nahid Islam, has also accused major parties of quietly sharing the &quot;businesses of extortion and crime&quot; for decades. &quot;If you elect me, I will dedicate myself to the betterment of the area,&quot; Islam said, thanking women supporters. &quot;If we lose, August 5 will also lose,&quot; he added, referring to the day Hasina resigned. Supporters chanted popular slogans from the uprising, including &quot;Long live the revolution!&quot; &quot;Slavery or freedom?&quot; they chanted, replying in unison, &quot;Freedom, freedom!&quot; Among the crowds on Monday was Tota Mia, 58, a rickshaw puller who had attended rallies on all sides and took a pragmatic approach. &quot;I&#39;ve seen everyone,&quot; he said. &quot;And this time I will vote for Jamaat. It doesn&#39;t matter if I eat more or I eat less, I just want peace.&quot;&nbsp;

Asia

Bangladesh's election campaign ended Monday ahead of this week's vote, with rival parties invoking the 2024 uprising that ended the autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh poll rivals rally on final day of campaign

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Political parties must clearly outline how they plan to protect the environment in their election manifestos, Bangladesh&rsquo;s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said on Saturday, according to state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Speaking at a dialogue titled &quot;Road to Green Manifesto: Dialogue with Political Parties&quot; in Dhaka, Rizwana said parties should present a clear roadmap along with implementation plans to address environmental challenges and pollution. She also urged young people to hold future elected governments accountable for their environmental commitments to ensure effective action against pollution, BSS reported. The event was organized by the non-profit organization Brighters at the Department of Environment in Agargaon, Dhaka. Rizwana said the interim government had already initiated steps to resolve environmental problems and emphasized that the next elected government must continue and strengthen those efforts. She highlighted air pollution as a major concern, noting that around 13% of the country&#39;s pollution&nbsp;comes from brick kilns. Road dust, uncovered construction materials and the burning of waste were also identified as key contributors, she said. &ldquo;A policy has been made to stop black smoke from vehicles. Now it needs to be implemented. We have declared Savar as a &lsquo;degraded airshed.&rsquo; We have faced many legal obstacles while conducting a campaign to close brick kilns,&rdquo; she said. The adviser noted that Dhaka had fewer peak air pollution days this year than the previous year. She added that the Executive Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority had approved a project to increase the capacity of the Eastern Refinery as part of efforts to curb air pollution, BSS reported. Rizwana also said the Noise Pollution Regulations 2025 have been prepared, alongside separate rules aimed at conserving forests and protecting wildlife. Addressing young participants, she said sustained and systematic efforts were essential to achieving long-term environmental protection. &ldquo;We should not lose hope; the works should be carried forward systematically,&rdquo; she said.

Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan spoke at an event at the Department of Environment (DoE) in Agargaon, Dhaka (BSS)

Bangladesh

Urges political parties to include clear environmental roadmaps in election manifestos; calls on youth to hold future governments accountable for preventing pollution.

Parties must address environment in election manifestos: Bangladeshi climate adviser

ISLAMABAD: The German ambassador to Bangladesh, Dr R&uuml;diger Lotz, paid a courtesy call on Dr Shafiqur Rahman, head of Bangladesh&#39;s largest religious political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, at the party&rsquo;s Basundhara office on Tuesday, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported. The meeting took place in a cordial and friendly atmosphere, according to a press release issued by Jamaat-e-Islami. During the discussion, the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election was described as extremely important for Bangladesh. The Jamaat head, or Ameer, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, sought Germany&rsquo;s cooperation and necessary technical assistance to help ensure that the election is held in a free, fair, and credible manner, the press release said. The two sides also discussed the protection of women&rsquo;s rights in Bangladesh, the enhancement of professional skills in the workplace, and the overall development of women. The Jamaat leader expressed the expectation of continued German support in these areas, BSS reported. Both sides held constructive discussions on establishing sustainable democracy in Bangladesh and further strengthening democratic institutions. They also expressed optimism that bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Germany would expand further, BSS reported. Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General and Central Publicity and Media Chief Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair and the party&rsquo;s Foreign Affairs Adviser Professor Dr Mahamudul Hasan were also present at the meeting, according to BSS.

The German ambassador to Bangladesh met with Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman in Dhaka to discuss the importance of the upcoming national election, democratic development, and women’s empowerment; he also highlighted prospects for stronger trade and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Germany.

German ambassador pays courtesy call on Bangladeshi Jamaat chief: State media

ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) will deploy a large election observation mission to Bangladesh for the country&rsquo;s upcoming national election and referendum, the head of the mission Ivars Ijabs told the Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus,&nbsp;state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported on Sunday. The Chief Adviser&rsquo;s press secretary said EU election observation mission emphasized support for a &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; vote in the referendum, calling it crucial for enabling the implementation of essential reform agendas. Ijabs also informed the Chief Adviser that EU observers will be deployed across the country, monitor all regions and hold meetings with major political parties and other stakeholders as part of their mandate, BSS reported. Chief Adviser Yunus assured the EU that the election and referendum would be conducted smoothly and would be free, fair, credible, peaceful and festive. He said the Election Commission and the interim government are fully prepared to ensure the smooth conduct of both processes, adding that a level playing field will be ensured for all political parties and that he does not anticipate major difficulties. &#39;Extremely important&#39; Yunus thanked the EU for sending the observation mission, describing it as &ldquo;extremely important&rdquo; for holding a credible election and supporting Bangladesh&rsquo;s democratic transition, BSS reported. He said security forces will use body-worn cameras at vulnerable polling centers to monitor potential disturbances or deterioration in law and order. The system will be connected centrally through a mobile application, allowing monitoring at upazila, district, division, and Dhaka levels. In addition, all polling centers will be equipped with closed-circuit television cameras to enable rapid identification of troublemakers, he said. The military will remain deployed as a rapid-response striking force to intervene immediately if required. Awareness-building campaigns On the referendum, Yunus said the interim government is conducting and will continue awareness-building campaigns in favor of a &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; vote.&nbsp; He said legal opinions were sought on the issue and that top legal experts have provided written confirmation that the interim government is legally permitted to seek public support for the referendum, with no legal barriers. Although the formal election campaign is set to begin on January 22, Yunus said an election wave is already visible across the country. He identified misinformation and disinformation on social media as a major challenge, warning that elements linked to the fallen autocratic regime may attempt to disrupt the process. However, he said security forces are fully prepared to address any such threats. Yunus also noted strong enthusiasm among women and young voters and expressed optimism that voter turnout in the upcoming election would be very high.

The European bloc will deploy a large election observation mission to Bangladesh for the country’s upcoming national election and referendum.

EU to deploy large election observation mission to Bangladesh: State media

Web Desk/AFP

The Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people will hold its first elections since the uprising on Feb. 12; European Union election observers say the election will be the 'biggest democratic process of 2026, anywhere'.

Bangladesh's political crossroads: An election guide

ISLAMABAD: Social media use in Bangladesh is set to hit a new high in early 2026, with about 64 million active social media user identities recorded in late 2025, according to the DataReportal report. United Nations population data cited in the report put Bangladesh&rsquo;s population at 176 million in October 2025, with a median age of 26. Bangladesh had 186 million cellular mobile connections in late 2025, equal to 105% of the population, according to DataReportal&rsquo;s roundup of GSMA Intelligence figures. The report said 82.8 million people used the internet at the end of 2025, placing online penetration at 47.0%. The report said social media user identities equal 36.3% of the total population and more than 77% of Bangladesh&rsquo;s internet users, highlighting how social platforms have become a primary channel for information. Big platforms, bigger reachFacebook remains the country&rsquo;s largest social platform, with 64 million users and a reach of nearly 55% of adults, the report said. TikTok is the fastest-growing major platform, reaching 56.2 million adults, according to the report.&nbsp; Professional platforms have also expanded. LinkedIn rose to 12 million members in late 2025, while Instagram reached 9.15 million users, the report said. Other platforms, such as Messenger, reached about 35.0 million users, while Reddit, X, and Threads each accounted for less than 1% of the total population. AI, social media abuseDataReportal said social media user identities in Bangladesh increased by 8.5 million, or 15.3%, between late 2024 and late 2025. With national elections expected in February, the Election Commission of Bangladesh is developing an effective strategy to curb the abuse of artificial intelligence and social media ahead of the February 2026 national elections, New Age reported. The commission, headed by AMM Nasir Uddin, views misinformation and disinformation on social media as a major challenge to maintaining a congenial electoral environment during the 13th parliamentary election. Election officials have expressed concern that AI-generated deepfakes and false content could be harder to detect and may disrupt campaigns, prompting the commission to consider regulatory and technical measures to address the threat, New Age reported.

In the south Asian nation, social media use is set to hit a critical peak in early 2026, with about 64 million active user identities recorded in October 2025, a level equivalent to 36.3% of the country’s population, according to a DataReportal report.

Articles tagged with "Bangladesh elections"

Bangladesh poll rivals rally on final day of campaign

Parties must address environment in election manifestos: Bangladeshi climate adviser

German ambassador pays courtesy call on Bangladeshi Jamaat chief: State media

EU to deploy large election observation mission to Bangladesh: State media

Bangladesh's political crossroads: An election guide

Social media use in Bangladesh surges ahead of February elections