Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Md Daud Ali explains the voting process for the upcoming national election during a media briefing at the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo on Jan. 21. (©JAPAN Forward by Kenji Yoshida)
Bangladesh will hold a general election alongside a referendum on sweeping political reforms on February 12, a vote the country's top envoy to Japan described as a critical step toward restoring democratic legitimacy.
The development comes after the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024, following weeks of mass protests that led to the formation of an interim administration tasked with overseeing fresh elections.
Speaking at an informal briefing in Tokyo, Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Md Daud Ali said the upcoming polls aim to return power to voters and reflect the will of the people after recent political upheaval and decades of contested elections.
Caretaker-led Vote
The election will be held under an interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus, a system the South Asian country has used in the past to limit political influence during voting. Daud Ali said the caretaker administration's mandate is limited to conducting a "free and fair election."
"For most of the time, when elections happened under a political government, there was influence," he said. "That is why all political parties now agree that there should be a caretaker government."
Voters will also take part in a national referendum on proposed political reforms, including whether to introduce a bicameral parliament and impose term limits on the prime minister.
"At present, we have only one house," the ambassador explained. "Some political parties are asking for a second house. There are different opinions. So, finally, it was decided that it is better to go to a referendum. Let the people decide."
Fallout and Party Ban
Bangladesh's political system has been under major pressure after weeks of unrest spearheaded by a younger population demanding accountability, electoral transparency, and reforms.
The protests ended Hasina's 15-year rule, and a Bangladeshi court later sentenced the former prime minister to death in absentia. She remains in exile in India.
With a major political party now banned, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, is widely expected to take the lead in the upcoming race.
Asked about criticism that the election would be undemocratic because Hasina's Awami League has been barred from contesting, Daud Ali said, "It's not the government that banned the party. It was the court."
He said legal proceedings involving Awami League leaders accused of abuses are ongoing and added that the ban is likely not permanent.
"When the process of this kind of trial is almost finished, but at a certain level is done, their ban may be lifted. The court will decide," he said.
Transparency and Overseas Voting
During the briefing, Daud Ali highlighted what he described as unprecedented transparency measures surrounding the election. Bangladesh has invited international observers and media from around the world, including from Japan, the European Union, and dozens of other countries.
"There is no restriction," he said. "Any number of observers can go. Any media can go."
Another focus was Bangladesh's first large-scale rollout of overseas postal voting, aimed at expatriate communities who previously had limited access to the ballot.
More than 1.5 million people at home and worldwide have registered for postal ballots, including nearly 9,000 Bangladeshi citizens living in Japan.
The system combines paper ballots with digital registration and voter verification using national ID, Daud Ali said, while adding that votes are still cast on paper and rejecting claims that Bangladesh is introducing fully digital voting.
He also noted the growing challenge of misinformation during election periods, saying artificial intelligence has made fake news harder to detect.
Bangladesh's Ministry of Information operates a fact-checking unit, he said, though voters inside the country generally understand local realities.
Relations with India
Asked about Bangladesh's relationship with neighboring powerhouse India, which has deteriorated in recent months, Daud Ali cited India's export and visa restrictions and hosting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a cause of ongoing concern.
Still, he said, "My government, ourselves, we feel that we should have a good relationship with India."
The ambassador rejected suggestions that foreign governments are influencing the upcoming vote, saying Bangladesh's past election problems stemmed largely from domestic politics rather than outside interference.
"If the people have the right, then the people will decide," he said.
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Author: Kenji Yoshida
