Dhaka: Campaigning began on Thursday for Bangladesh's general election next month, under an interim administration following a mass uprising that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India in 2024. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) initiated its first election rally in the northeastern city of Sylhet, where prime minister hopeful Tarique Rahman delivered a speech, as reported on the party's official Facebook page.

According to Anadolu Agency, Rahman recently assumed the leadership of the BNP following the death of his mother, Khaleda Zia, a former prime minister. The BNP's secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has confirmed that Rahman is the party's candidate for prime minister if they secure a victory in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman is also addressing a rally in Dhaka.

The Awami League Party, led by Hasina, will not participate in the election. The interim government has suspended the party's registration due to alleged crimes against humanity during the 2024 uprising. The parliamentary elections, scheduled for February 12, will see Bangladeshi voters elect 350 lawmakers from nearly 2,000 candidates. A majority requires 151 seats.

There are over 127 million registered voters, as reported by the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). The elections are organized by Bangladesh's Election Commission under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, following the collapse of Hasina's government amid mass protests in August 2024. According to the UN, approximately 1,400 people died during the uprising, and Hasina, along with her Awami League party, has rejected the election roadmap, denouncing it as illegal and pledging to resist it.