Bangladesh Set for Horic February 12 Polls With a Game-Changing First for 15 Million Expatriates

Bangladesh has a unicameral legislature which uses a parliamentary electoral system which, like India, is based on first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting. (AP Photo)

Bangladesh Elections: Bangladesh is poised to hold its first national elections since the 2024 student-led uprising that ousted the country’s longtime leader and former Prime Miner Sheikh Hasina amid a violent crackdown on protesters and forced the incumbent leader of Awami League to flee to India.

The elections in Bangladesh are scheduled to take place on February 12 and more than 127 million people are eligible to vote in the polls, which is being referred to as the largest democratic exercise of the year.

In a significant change this time, the Bangladesh Election Commission has announced that about 15 million Bangladeshi expatriates, the strong diaspora of Dhaka whose remittances are significant for the economy, are also eligible to vote post for the first time.

Women supporters of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party hold leaflets at an election rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (AP Photo)

How elections work in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a unicameral legislature that uses a parliamentary electoral system which, like India, is based on first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting. The legislature body of Bangladesh is known as Jatiya Sangsad, which has 350 members.

300 seats: In the polls, 300 members are directly elected from single-member constituencies for a five-year term.Story continues below this ad

50 seats: Fifty seats are reserved for women and are allocated proportionally to parties based on their share of 300 seats elected. The 50-women members are appointed the ruling party/coalition.

Voting system in Bangladesh

FPTP Method: Since Bangladesh follows a first-past-the-post (FPTP) system of voting, the candidate with the most number of votes in a constituency is declared the winner regardless of the fact whether they secure an absolute majority or not.

Ballot and Eligibility: Citizens who are aged 18 years or older are eligible to vote in the polls. Traditionally, the Bangladeshis have been primarily voting in-person at the designated polling stations using paper ballots, a system that has been in place since the country achieved independence in 1971.

However, the Bangladesh Election Commission has introduced the postal voting system for the first time in 2026 through which a dedicated digital platform Postal Vote BD has been designed for regration and voter verification.Story continues below this ad

How are votes counted in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Election Commission will mail the ballots to regered voters.

Voters are required to mark their respective choices and return the ballot adhering to the deadline.

Each ballot will be verified the election officials for authenticity.

Until the counting begins, the verified ballots will be kept sealed the election commission.

Votes are then tallied either manually or electronically.