2026 elections in Bangladesh

Elections in Bangladesh in 2026 include the general election to Jatiya Sangsad, presidential elections the reserved elections to Jatiya Sangsad, constitutional referendum, elections to city corporations, several municipalities and local bodies.

The general election is scheduled to be held in Bangladesh on 12 February 2026^[1] to elect 300 out of 350members of the Jatiya Sangsad. This election will determine the next Government of Bangladesh. The vote will take place under the Interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which has governed the country since August 2024.

Major parties are expected to contest, however, the Awami League, the winner of previous four elections, is currently suspended and is highly expected to not participate in the election.^[2] The election witnessed a significant increase of the number of female candidates, particularly from the National Citizen Party (NCP) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).^[3]

After the July Revolution 2024, to prevent concentration of power in a single office (Prime Minister of Bangladesh) again, the following amendment is proposed, the voters have to select Yes or No for the following Question

Do you approve of the July National Charter (Constitution Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025, and the following proposals for constitutional reform as recorded in the July National Charter?

a. The caretaker government during election, the Election Commission, and other constitutional institutions shall be constituted in accordance with the process described in the July Charter.

b. The next Parliament shall be bicameral. A 100-member upper house will be formed based on the proportion of votes received by political parties in the national election, and any constitutional amendment will require approval by a majority of the upper house.

c. The 30 reform proposals on which political parties reached consensus under the July National Charter — including increased representation of women in Parliament, election of the Deputy Speaker and parliamentary committee chairs from the opposition, term limits for the Prime Minister, enhanced powers of the President, expansion of fundamental rights, judicial independence, and strengthening of local government — shall be binding on the parties that win the upcoming election.

d. Other reforms outlined in the July Charter shall be implemented according to the commitments made by political parties.

Elections for 50 seats in Jatiya Sangsad is organised by Jatiya Sangsad itself and 300 directly elected memebrs vote via proportional representation to elect 50 women in the house. The elections will be announced after the general elections.

Mohammed Shahabuddin has announced that he is willing to resign mid-term as he "felt humiliated" as, according to him, the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus has ignored him in key decision making.^[4] He has said to resign after the February elections and government formation.

It shall be noted that he has just expressed a will to resign and not any official statement and is non-binding.