Bangladesh's first post-uprising election is a test for democratic norms and minority rights

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladeshis will cast ballots on Thursday in a crucial national election, the first since a mass uprising ended the 15-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Public expectation is running high that the vote could help reset democratic norms after more than a decade of disputed elections and shrinking political space.

The transition is being overseen by an interim administration led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has pledged a fair vote.

Here's what to know about the polls in Bangladesh.

The election is being closely watched

The election of a new Parliament will involve more than 127 million eligible voters in the nation of some 170 million people, with 1,981 candidates contesting parliamentary seats nationwide. The Yunus-led administration has stated that it is committed to holding elections that are free, fair and peaceful. To help ensure this, around 500 foreign observers will be present, including from the European Union and the Commonwealth, to which Bangladesh belongs.

The vote also introduces a significant procedural change. Bangladeshi citizens living abroad will be able to participate through a postal voting system for the first time. The move is intended to broaden electoral participation by including the country's large expatriate population.

Bangladesh's national legislature comprises 350 lawmakers. Of these, 300 are elected directly from single-member constituencies, while an additional 50 seats are reserved for women. Elections are conducted under a first-past-the-post system, and each Parliament serves a five-year term.

The election will also include a referendum for political reforms that include prime ministerial term limits, stronger checks on executive power and other safeguards preventing parliamentary power consolidation.

Whether the process delivers genuine institutional reform or continues to support existing power structures will shape Bangladesh's domestic stability, which has been marked by periods of military rule and weak democratic structures since its independence from Pakistan in 1971.

''The future of Bangladesh is in the hands of its citizens and elected leaders to ensure the country's stability as a rights-respecting democracy,'' said Catherine Cooper, staff attorney at the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center.

She said it is critical that the newly-elected government ''prioritize and protect civic space, allowing civil society, the press, political opposition, and all citizens to speak without fear of repression.''

The election results will also serve as an important test of whether popular protest movements by young people can translate into durable democratic change. Nearly 5 million people are new voters and will be casting their ballots for the first time.

Bangladesh's political landscape has for decades revolved around two rival dynasties. On one side is the Awami League, headed by Hasina, the daughter of the country's founding president. Opposing it is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, now led by Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia . who died in December.

With the Awami League banned, the BNP has emerged as the front-runner, positioning Rahman as the leading candidate.

Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self exile and has promised to rebuild democratic institutions, restore the rule of law and revive the economy.

Challenging the BNP is a broad 11-party coalition spearheaded by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, which is seeking to expand its influence in national politics. Jamaat-e-Islami was banned under Hasina but has gained influence since her ouster.

The alliance also includes the newly formed National Citizen Party, created by leaders of the 2024 uprising.

The election is going to be the first since the ouster of Hasina, who now lives in exile in India. She was sentenced to death in absentia last year by a special tribunal under the Yunus-led administration. The charges against her relate to crimes against humanity over the deaths of hundreds of people during the 2024 uprising.

Hasina has denounced the trial, terming the court as a ''kangaroo court.'' In an interview with The Associated Press from her exile in India, she denounced the decision to exclude her party from taking part in the election.

During Hasina's rule, elections were widely criticized by opposition parties and rights groups as lacking credibility.

Minority Hindus feel intimidated

An increasingly urgent concern in Bangladesh is the rising prominence of hard-line groups. Their influence has raised alarms about the rights and safety of women and religious minorities. Minority communities, particularly Hindus, report increased intimidation and incidents of violence, deepening fears about their place in the Muslim-majority nation.