Key political figures and prime minister hopefuls delivered final addresses to the nation on Monday ahead of the conclusion of the official election campaign period for Bangladesh’s general elections.
Bangladesh will hold its first general elections on Thursday since the July 2024 mass uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule, in which around 1,400 people were killed and thousands were injured, according to the UN.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its former ally, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, are leading the two main alliances in the election. The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by the key student leaders who spearheaded the July 2024 mass uprising, joined the Jamaat-led alliance.
The election is not considered to be an easy win for any alliance as a number of polls cited tight competition and significant influence from Generation Z voters, who are prioritising a corruption-free, accountable government.
In a televised address to the nation on Monday night, BNP chairperson and leading contender for prime minister, Tarique Rahman, promised to protect the country’s sovereignty and build a society through inclusiveness.
The son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia added that “if elected, the BNP government will be as strict as it can be in controlling corruption in the country. The rule of law will be re-established.”
Shafiqur Rahman, the party leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, in his national address called on his countrymen to think “'ethically” to build a new Bangladesh of hope, adding that the July 2024 uprising was for a Bangladesh free of discrimination, for a change in the political trend and free from the hands of the dynastic system.
Bangladesh will also hold a referendum on election day on four key sets of reforms.
Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus called the election crucial for the country, adding that “if the 'Yes' vote wins in the referendum, the country will change and misrule will not return to the country.”
