Bangladesh Election Campaigning Ends; BNP, Jamaat Performance Surveys Out

Last Updated:February 10, 2026, 08:58 IST

The election has largely taken the shape of a bipolar race between BNP led by Tarique Rahman and Jamaat-e-Islami and Citizen Party (NCP)-led 11-party alliance.

With Bangladesh set to vote on February 12, election campaigning ended at 7:30 am today. Political parties and candidates can no longer carry out any campaign activity.

Voting will take place for 299 seats out of the total 300 seats in Bangladesh’s Parliament. Along with the parliamentary election, voters will also take part in a referendum for the July Charter.

Meanwhile, India has not sent an election observer for the Bangladesh polls. The Awami League has not been allowed to contest the election, a move opposed by Sheikh Hasina.

Campaigning for Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections began on January 22, with 1,981 candidates contesting for 299 seats and around 127 million registered voters taking part in the democratic process. 

The contest has largely taken the shape of a bipolar race between two major political groupings. On one side is the Bangladesh ist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, which is estimated to have around 33 to 35 per cent support. On the other side is the Jamaat-e-Islami and Citizen Party (NCP)-led 11-party alliance, which is projected to have roughly 30 to 34 per cent support.

BNP-led alliance have an edge over Jamaat?

Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported that a public opinion survey by Eminence Associates for Social Development (EASD) predicted the BNP-led alliance could win around 208 seats in the 13th national elections.

The survey projected that the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance may secure about 46 seats. It also suggested that the Jatiya Party may win three seats, other parties four seats, and independent candidates around 17 seats.

The survey was based on the views of 41,500 respondents. It was carried out across all 300 constituencies using the primary sampling unit method. According to the survey, 66.3 per cent of voters expressed willingness to vote for the BNP. Jamaat received 11.9 per cent support, the Citizen Party 1.7 per cent, the Jatiya Party 4 per cent, and independent candidates 2.6 per cent.

The survey found higher BNP support among women, with 71.1 per cent backing the party. Regionally, the BNP-led alliance recorded its highest support in Chattogram and Sylhet. Jamaat showed stronger support in Barishal and Khulna, while the Jatiya Party received support in Rangpur.

Meanwhile, a separate survey released yesterday suggested a much closer contest between the two alliances.

This survey indicated that the BNP-led alliance may secure 44.1 per cent of the vote, while the Jamaat-led alliance could receive 43.9 per cent. It projected that the Jamaat-led alliance may win in 105 constituencies, while the BNP-led alliance could win 101 seats.

According to this survey, 1.7 per cent supported the Jatiya Party and 6.5 per cent were undecided. It also indicated closely fought contests in 75 constituencies between the two major alliances, while candidates from other parties may win in 19 constituencies.

The election results will be declared on February 13.

News world Bangladesh Election Campaigning Ends; BNP, Jamaat Performance Surveys Out

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