Bangladesh election tight as ideology, economic woes weigh on voters

Record ID: 2340503

  • Title: Bangladesh election tight as ideology, economic woes weigh on voters
  • Date: 9th February 2026
  • Summary: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (FEBRUARY 5, 2026) (REUTERS)   (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR CONSULTANT, MYANMAR AND BANGLADESH, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP, THOMAS KEAN, SAYING:   "So I think we can say like the issue of corruption, governance is certainly there. I think there's also a kind of, a culture war going on in Bangladesh. You know, one of the blocs that are competing -- the
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Awami League BNP Bangladesh Hasina Jamaat Jamaat-e-Islami analyst economy election employment ideology jobs politics polls
  • Location: DHAKA AND HABIGANJ, BANGLADESH / MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
  • City: DHAKA AND HABIGANJ, BANGLADESH / MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
  • Country: Bangladesh
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA002284305022026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Bangladesh heads into a critical election on Thursday (February 12) with analysts warning that voter realignments and unresolved economic grievances could shape the country’s first competitive national poll since the departure of longtime leader Sheikh Hasina 18 months ago.
    The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely expected to win, although a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami is putting up a strong challenge. Opinion polls expect the once-banned Jamaat, which had opposed Bangladesh's India-backed 1971 independence from Pakistan, to have its best electoral performance even if it does not win.
    A new party driven by Gen-Z activists under the age of 30 has aligned with Jamaat after failing to translate its anti-Hasina street mobilisation into an electoral base.
    Analysts say a decisive result in the vote, instead of a fractured outcome, is vital for restoring stability in the nation of 175 million people after Hasina's ouster triggered months of unrest and disrupted major industries, including the garments sector in the world’s second‑largest exporter.
    Bangladesh, one of the world’s most densely populated countries with high rates of extreme poverty, has been hit by high inflation, weakening reserves and slowing investment, which has pushed it to seek large-scale external financing since 2022, including billions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. 
    Corruption is the biggest concern among the 128 million voters, followed by inflation, according to a survey by Dhaka-based think tanks Communication & Research Foundation and Bangladesh Election and Public Opinion Studies. 
    Analysts say the clean image of Jamaat, which calls for a society governed by Islamic principles, is a factor in its favour.
    Nevertheless, BNP's Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is seen as the frontrunner to lead the next government. But if the Jamaat-led coalition emerges ahead, its chair, Shafiqur Rahman, could be in line for the top job.
    While Hasina's Awami League is banned from participating in the election, its voter base may prove decisive in tightly contested constituencies, said political analyst Asif Shahan, a professor at the University of Dhaka.
    "This vote will eventually decide the election when the election becomes very competitive," he told Reuters on Saturday (February 7). "So I think Awami League voters will be the kingmaker."
    (Production: Sam Jahan, Phyllis Xu)
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