Bangladesh set for historic twin polls: JS elections, referendum on Feb 12
In a momentous announcement that has electrified the nation, the Election Commission has fixed February 12, 2026 as the date for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections – to be held alongside the country’s first-ever simultaneous referendum on July National Charter that endorses sweeping constitutional reforms.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin revealed the eagerly awaited schedule in a primetime address broadcast on Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar on Thursday evening, declaring that voting will run uninterrupted from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.
According to the announced election schedule, the last date for submitting nomination papers is December 29. Scrutiny of nominations will take place from December 30 to January 4.
Appeals against the Returning Officer’s decisions may be filed till January11, and will be disposed of between January 12 and 18.
The final date for withdrawing candidacy is January 20, while election symbols will be allocated on 21 January.
Campaigning is set to begin on January 22and will continue until 7:30 am on February 10.
This groundbreaking double vote marks a historic first: parliamentary ballots will be printed in black and white, while pink ballots will be used for the referendum on implementing sweeping constitutional reforms.
This unprecedented twin poll represents a pivotal moment in Bangladesh's democratic journey, coming just 18 months after the student-led uprising that ousted longtime leader Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
The referendum will seek public endorsement for the "July Charter", a reform blueprint born from the 2024 revolution, proposing major changes such as curbing executive powers, bolstering judicial independence, restoring a caretaker government system, and potentially introducing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the upper house.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Election Commission, headed by CEC Nasir Uddin, met President Md Shahabuddin to brief him on preparations.
The President expressed full confidence in the Commission's ability to deliver a transparent and inclusive process, including detailed plans for dual voting, ballot security, and result tabulation.
Over 3,00,000 expatriate Bangladeshis have already registered for postal voting, underscoring global enthusiasm for this transformative election.
Recent court-mandated adjustments to constituency boundaries, particularly restoring original delineations in Bagerhat and Gazipur based on the 2022 census, have been finalised ahead of the schedule.
With the announcement, months of speculation and tense negotiations among political forces come to a dramatic close.
Major parties, including the frontrunning Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the resurgent Jamaat-e-Islami, are now poised to launch full-throttle campaigns in a contest widely seen as a battle for the soul of post-revolution Bangladesh.
The banned Awami League remains sidelined, while alliances shift and reform debates rage.
As the nation hurtles towards this high-stakes democratic showdown, excitement is palpable: Bangladesh is not just electing a new parliament but voting on its future constitutional framework. The world watches as this vibrant democracy reinvents itself.