Bangladesh Election: High-Stakes Vote Topples Long-Time Female Leader

Bangladesh is holding a pivotal national election on February 12th, marking the first electoral process after the removal of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina. The election features an intense competition between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamic political party, with opinion polls indicating BNP's lead. Bangladesh, one of the world's youngest population countries, has approximately 45% of its 128 million eligible voters between 18-33 years old. Nearly 5 million first-time voters are participating, following widespread criticism of the previous 2024 election's transparency and subsequent student protests.