Resetting the Compass: Bangladesh’s Road to Participatory and Fair Elections

Elections are a cornerstone of democratic governance, enabling citizens to participate in political decision-making and hold leaders accountable, yet in Bangladesh this function has increasingly been undermined by persistent concerns over transparency, institutional neutrality, and inclusivity. As the country approaches its next parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12, 2026, serious questions have emerged regarding the preparedness and integrity of the electoral system, placing the current electoral crisis within a broader public policy and institutional governance context marked by political exclusion, administrative opacity, and security sector inaction. Central to this crisis is the Election Commission’s suspension of the Awami League (AL), one of the two major political parties, a decision that effectively bars it from electoral participation and has triggered widespread political and public resistance, thereby calling into question the competitiveness and legitimacy of the forthcoming polls. The controversy has been further intensified by the Chief Election Commissioner’s announcement of a dual referendum on political reforms in the absence of stakeholder consensus or meaningful public dialogue, underscoring the fragility of democratic institutions when administrative bodies become politicized or insufficiently accountable. Drawing on qualitative evidence from documented political violence, attacks on media and civil society, and interviews with key stakeholders, the analysis demonstrates how institutional inaction, particularly by law enforcement and election management bodies, has fostered an environment conducive to mobism, repression, and fear, with far-reaching socio-economic consequences for governance, economic growth, civic participation, and minority protection. Collectively, these dynamics threaten to reduce Bangladesh’s democratic framework to a monolithic system characterized by shrinking civic space, weakened checks and balances, and declining public trust, underscoring the urgent need for participatory, transparent, and inclusive electoral reforms, the depoliticization of state institutions, and the restoration of civic freedoms to ensure democratic legitimacy and institutional resilience.