Bangladesh Begins Campaigning in First Post-Uprising Vote

Is Bangladesh's election a betrayal of secular ideals or a successful transition to credible democracy?

Published 1 day ago

Bangladesh Begins Campaigning in First Post-Uprising Vote

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Above: Police officers sit behind a campaign placard depicting Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Jan. 21, 2026. Image credit: Miguel Candela/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

The Spin

Left narrative

Student leaders who risked everything to topple an authoritarian regime are getting sidelined in a desperate alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, securing just 30 seats while the Islamist party grabs 179. This miscalculation betrays the democratic ideals that fueled the uprising and raises serious doubts about whether Bangladesh will become a secular democracy or slide into an intolerant, Islamist state.

South China Morning Post

Right narrative

The Feb. 12 election is a fully prepared, free and fair democratic process that will set the benchmark for all future polls in Bangladesh. With EU observers monitoring and vital reforms already implemented, this festive election marks the country’s successful transition from crisis to credible democracy under strong leadership, ensuring stability, inclusion, transparency, accountability, institutional confidence and renewed trust.

The Daily Star

Narrative C

This is not a genuine vote; it's a calculated trap. The election in Bangladesh is a carefully staged exercise intended to legitimize authority while suppressing the will of the people. With major opposition parties deliberately excluded, participation promotes fundamentalism rather than democratic governance. The decision before the nation is a moral one — to legitimize a political farce or to reject complicity to safeguard Bangladesh’s future, sovereignty, stability and the conscience of its people.

Sajeeb Wazed on X

Bangladesh Awami League on X