DHAKA, December 11, 2025 — The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), A M M Nasir Uddin, announced the schedule for the 13th national parliamentary election today, confirming that voting will take place on February 12, 2026.
In a televised address to the nation this Thursday evening, the CEC also declared that the Referendum on the July National Charter will be held on the same day. Polling will run continuously for nine hours, from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Voter and Security Details
The upcoming elections will see more than 127.6 million registered voters participate. For the first time, expatriate Bangladeshis will have the opportunity to vote via postal ballot, with over 300,000 having already registered.
The Election Commission (EC) is viewing the joint holding of the national election and the referendum on the same day as a significant management challenge. To handle this, the EC has extended polling time by one hour, and the number of secret voting booths in polling centers will be increased.
Regarding security, the government has confirmed that approximately 900,000 security personnel, including members of the armed forces, will be deployed across the country.
This represents the largest deployment of security forces in the nation's history, aimed at ensuring a fair and peaceful electoral environment. The EC has also enlisted a record 150,000 police officers. Political Context
The announcement comes 16 months after the interim government, led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, took office on August 8 last year, following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 amidst student and public protests.
Initially, Professor Yunus had suggested the election might take place in the first half of April 2026. However, following a meeting with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London on June 13, it was mutually agreed to aim for the first half of February 2026. The government subsequently committed to this revised timeframe, and the EC proceeded with preparations. The Chief Adviser confirmed the joint polls on February’s first half on November 13.
Currently, 56 political parties are registered with the EC. However, parties whose registration has been suspended—like the Awami League—are ineligible to participate. All other registered parties, alongside any eligible individuals running as independent candidates, will be able to contest the election. A new Election Commission, led by A M M Nasir Uddin, was formed on November 21 last year, and this will be its first major electoral exercise.
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