Bangladeshis lined up outside polling booths on Thursday as voting began for what many say is a pivotal election for the South Asian nation, marking a return to democracy after the 2024 ouster of long-time premier Sheikh Hasina in a Gen Z-driven uprising.
Analysts say a decisive result is crucial for steady governance in the nation of 175 million, as the deadly anti-Hasina protests triggered months of unrest and disrupted key industries, including the garments sector, the worlds second-largest exporter.
It is the world’s first election after a revolution led by under-30s, or Gen Z, to be followed by Nepal next month.
The contest pits two coalitions led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami, with opinion polls giving an edge to the BNP.
In Dhaka, the capital, people queued up outside voting booths before polls opened at 7:30am local time (0130 GMT), including eager participants like Mohammed Jobair Hossain, 39, who said he last voted in 2008.
“I am feeling excited because we are voting in a free manner after 17 years,” Hossain said as he waited in line. “Our votes will matter and have meaning.”
Hasina’s Awami League is banned, and she remains in self-imposed exile in long-term ally India, opening the window for China to expand its influence in Bangladesh as Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi deteriorate.
Unlike previous elections marred by opposition boycotts and intimidation, more than 2,000 candidates, including many independents, are vying for 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation.
