Bangladesh

U.S.-based rights groups warn that Bangladesh’s February 2026 election risks becoming non-inclusive, amid allegations of minority persecution, repression of opposition, and democratic backsliding.

In a stinging joint statement, 707 Supreme Court lawyers have declared a boycott of the Feb 12 election. They allege the process is an "artificial arrangement" designed to legitimise an illegal grip on power.

Thousands of government employees on election duty are opting not to vote via postal ballot. They claim the current system’s lack of safeguards makes it easy to identify their political leanings, risking future harassment.

Bangladesh’s Election Commission has approved 55,454 observers for the upcoming election. Allegations suggest that organizations like PASA and CARD are deploying thousands of politically biased activists to manage the election narrative.

A leaked document profiling the political leanings of all 64 District Commissioners has gone viral. Allegations suggest that professional merit has been sidelined in the lead-up to the Feb 12 election.