Campaigning starts in Bangladesh’s first national elections since PM ousted

National Citizen Party supporters held a rally in the capital Dhaka (Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP)

Campaigning has begun ahead of Bangladesh’s first national elections since the 2024 uprising that saw long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina ousted.

The major political parties held campaign rallies in the capital, Dhaka, and elsewhere ahead of the February 12 election, which is seen as the most consequential in Bangladesh’s history as it follows Hasina’s removal and is being held under an interim government with voters also deciding on proposed political reforms.