BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Polls have formally closed in Bangladesh’s landmark election, which is seen as a direct contest between Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a coalition of 11 parties, led by the resurgent Jamaat-e-Islami party’s chief, Shafiqur Rahman TurkicWorld reports via aljazeera.
While opinion polls suggest Tarique Rahman is a frontrunner for the prime minister, the Jamaat-led alliance, which includes the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student leaders behind the 2024 uprising, could spring a surprise.
Parliament comprises 350 lawmakers, 300 of whom are elected directly from single-member constituencies, while an additional 50 seats are reserved for women. Elections were held for 299 seats due to the death of a candidate.
A referendum on political reforms, including prime ministerial term limits, stronger checks on executive power and other safeguards preventing parliamentary power consolidation, was also held.
