Bangladesh reclaims democracy in a historic general election

Today in Parliament, Abigail passed a motion congratulating the people of Bangladesh who have loudly rejected autocratic rule and overwhelmingly called for a democratic future underpinned by justice, national sovereignty, political stability and lasting peace.

Abigail said:

I move:

(1) That this House notes that:

Bangladesh held its 13th general election on 12 February 2026, marked as one of the most peaceful, democratic and credible elections in decades and the first election since the student-led uprising of July 2024 toppled Sheikh Hasina’s 15 year authoritarian rule;
Bangladesh National Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman won a historic two-thirds majority in the historic elections;
according to the Electoral Commission of Bangladesh, the election saw a record 59 per cent voter turnout;
Electoral Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said that the spontaneous and massive participation of people in this year’s election has proved that “we are ultimately victorious as a nation”, and thanked citizens for taking part in the vote in a festive atmosphere and noted that the election was completed in a more peaceful environment compared to the past;
the election was held simultaneously with a constitutional referendum on the July National Charter, which saw the “yes” vote winning a clear majority with 60 per cent of voters casting their ballot in favour of the Charter;
the July National Charter, which contains over 80 prospective constitutional reforms of Bangladesh’s governance system and state institutions, will now be implemented by the new Bangladesh government; and
the February 2026 Bangladesh election represents an important step towards a democratic renewal for the nation, with the people of Bangladesh having loudly rejected autocratic rule and overwhelmingly called for justice, national sovereignty, political stability and lasting peace.

(2) That this House congratulates the Bangladesh National Party and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for its success in the landmark Bangladesh general election, and commends the people of Bangladesh for their fierce activism and unwavering protest, which has paved the way for a future of liberty and justice.

Motion agreed to.

Read the transcript in Hansard here.

24 March 2026

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Bangladesh reclaims democracy in a historic general election

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