No Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh Votes In Historic First In Three Decades

Last Updated:February 12, 2026, 16:29 IST

The polls were the first since the 2024 student-led “Gen-Z” movement toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government.

Bangladesh went to the polls today in a historic election, with the legacy Awami League- Sheikh Hasina’s party- absent from the ballot for the first time in three decades. The vote marks a turning point in the nation’s political trajectory following nearly two years of unrest and government upheaval.

The Awami League, one of Bangladesh’s oldest political parties, was co-founded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s former president and prime minister, and father of Sheikh Hasina. The party and its iconic boat symbol have dominated Bangladesh’s political landscape for more than two decades, making its exclusion from the 2026 election unprecedented.

Thursday’s polls were also the first since the 2024 student-led “Gen-Z" movement toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government, forcing the former prime minister to flee to India.

Following mass protests and nationwide unrest, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus banned all Awami League activities. The Bangladesh Election Commission subsequently suspended the party’s registration, preventing it from contesting in the elections.

While the Awami League had skipped ballots in the past due to boycotts, this is the first instance where the party was barred by legal and governmental action rather than political choice.

The ban is linked to ongoing trials at Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (BD-ICT). In November 2025, Sheikh Hasina was tried in absentia and sentenced to death. Charges against her and two other senior Awami League officials include allegations of enforced disappearances, killings, illegal detention, torture, arson, looting and crimes against humanity during their tenure.

These developments cemented the party’s ineligibility for the 2026 polls, leaving Bangladesh to vote without one of its historical political pillars.

With the Awami League barred from participating, new and existing parties competed to fill the political vacuum. The interim Yunus government has maintained that the ban will remain in place until the completion of tribunal trials.

Thursday’s election results will be closely watched, both domestically and internationally, as they could define Bangladesh’s political direction in the years ahead.

News world No Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh Votes In Historic First In Three Decades

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