Political tensions in Bangladesh have intensified as the country prepares for national parliamentary elections in early 2026.
Sharif Osman Hadi, a senior leader of the Inqilab Manch who had been associated with the movement against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and was a potential independent candidate for Dhaka-8, was shot on Friday and remains in critical condition. The attack has fueled worries about political violence in the run-up to the vote.
Adding to the charged atmosphere, Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is due to return to Bangladesh on December 25 after nearly 17 years in exile in London, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir said.
Interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus called for swift arrests of those who carried out and planned the attack on Hadi. Yunus convened an emergency meeting at the state guesthouse Jamuna with members of the Advisory Council and senior security and law enforcement officials. He described the shooting as among the most alarming incidents since the interim government took office, saying it amounted to a deliberate blow against democratic progress and suggesting it was part of a broader conspiracy to undermine the upcoming national election and a planned referendum. Yunus vowed the government would work with the public to prevent any effort to sabotage the vote and ensure a peaceful process.
The Chief Election Commissioner, AMM Nasir Uddin, announced a national parliamentary election for February 12, 2026, to be held simultaneously with a referendum on the ‘July Charter’, a package of reforms inspired by the July 2024 student-led movement that challenged the incumbent government. The announcement of the schedule was quickly followed by a rise in political turbulence.
The July 2024 protests, led by students, sparked widespread demonstrations against Sheikh Hasina, who left for India on August 5, 2024. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was subsequently installed. The Awami League remains barred from political activity and its registration has been suspended by the Election Commission; unless that suspension is lifted, the party would be unable to contest the election. The Awami League has rejected the announced timetable.
With former leader Begum Khaleda Zia reportedly in poor health, the BNP is emerging as a principal political force for the contest. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party, also figures as a major contender. A new grouping, the National Citizen Party, formed by the students who spearheaded the movement against Sheikh Hasina, plans to participate as well. These parties are actively negotiating alliances as they prepare for the polls.
Ensuring a free, fair, credible, inclusive and peaceful election will be a significant challenge given Bangladesh’s history of election-related violence and the heightened international attention this time. India has urged that the vote be conducted in a manner that is free, fair, credible, inclusive and participatory, both domestically and on the international stage.
Against this backdrop of high-stakes political maneuvering, the security of political actors, the integrity of the electoral process, and the potential for further unrest remain central concerns as Bangladesh approaches the February 2026 ballot.
