Mohiuddin Alamgir

After decades of boycotts and hollow debate, expectations are high for genuine lawmaking and accountability

The 13th parliament begins its journey today amid hopes that the new House will emerge as the living centre of democratic practice, alive with constructive debate, meaningful decision-making, and a strong role in holding the government accountable.

In a scene never witnessed before in Bangladesh’s parliamentary history, the maiden sitting of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad is likely to begin today with the speaker’s chair vacant for a brief period.

An unprecedented number of ballots was rejected in the February 12 national polls.

Bangladesh bristled with anticipation, convinced that a defining moment was approaching.

The voting rate in constituencies across the 12 city corporation areas was significantly lower than in rural areas.

Once rooted largely in rural heartlands, the party has now made visible inroads into urban constituencies, drawing support from affluent and educated voters.

Bangladesh has always had a rocky democracy

The arduous struggle for the restoration of democracy reaches its final step this afternoon, as an elected government prepares to take oath following the swearing‑in of newly elected lawmakers this morning.

The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami recorded significant gains in vote share and seats compared to 1991, each rising by nearly 20 percentage points.

The new parliament will feature a significant number of new faces, with first‑time lawmakers set to take up the roles of both the leader of the House and the opposition leader for the first time in the country’s history.

The 13th national election will be remembered as the one when voters reclaimed their franchise.

The “Yes” vote in Thursday’s referendum received comparatively lower support than in the previous three plebiscites.

Bangladesh has been without a competitive election for so long that almost a third of the electorate has never witnessed genuine polls in which voters elect parliamentarians of their choosing.

When Winston Churchill rose at the House of Commons in October 1944, he reminded the world that democracy rests on something really important: “At the bottom of all tribute paid to democracy is the little man and woman, walking into a little booth, with a little pencil making a little cross on paper.”

The upcoming election offers the BNP and the Jamaat-led alliances a rare opportunity to make inroads into constituencies long dominated by the Awami League

The student-led uprising that toppled the Awami League government not only reopened the path to competitive elections and a democratic transition, but also reshaped the slate of candidates aspiring to become parliamentarians.

Experts say this only underscores how far the country still lags in ensuring gender parity in politics

The Election Commission and the government are at loggerheads over whether employees of the republic can campaign for a “yes” vote in the referendum, scheduled to be held along with the February 12 general election.

All 1,981 candidates contesting the upcoming February 12 polls have declared their election expenditures in their affidavits, bringing the combined total to a little under Tk 400 crore.