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 Minister 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 by 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.
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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 by 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 registration and voter verification.
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How are votes counted in Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Election Commission will mail the ballots to registered voters.
Voters are required to mark their respective choices and return the ballot adhering to the deadline.
Each ballot will be verified by the election officials for authenticity.
Until the counting begins, the verified ballots will be kept sealed by the election commission.
Votes are then tallied either manually or electronically.
Nischai Vats is a Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. His work primarily covers US politics and visa and immigration policy, alongside broader international developments, with an emphasis on accuracy, verification, and clear explainers.
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Nischai joined The Indian Express in May 2024 where he works on writing, editing, and refining high-impact stories for digital platforms. His role involves ensuring editorial consistency, factual accuracy, and clarity in coverage of complex policy-driven subjects.
Earlier in his career, he worked across Indian digital newsrooms in reporting and editing roles, including stints at Inshorts, Newslaundry, Tiranga TV, and Catch News. His newsroom experience spans rapid digital publishing, ground reporting, and copy editing across national, civic, and policy beats.
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His core areas of focus include:
US politics and governance: Coverage of American political developments, executive actions, and policy shifts.
US visa and immigration policy: Reporting and editing stories on visa categories, regulatory changes, and immigration pathways affecting global audiences.
Editorial accuracy and copy editing: Ensuring clarity, language precision, and verification in fast-paced digital news environments.
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Nischai's journalism is grounded in verified sources, official documentation, and clear attribution, in line with The Indian Express’ editorial standards. His background across reporting and editing enables him to translate complex policy updates into reliable, reader-friendly coverage. ... Read More
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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) 
