Bangladesh Votes After 17 Years in Historic Election

For Hasan Hoque, standing in a long voting line felt like celebrating a festival. The former teacher hadn't cast a real ballot since 2008.

"Nothing matches the feeling of casting my own vote," Hoque told reporters in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital. For 15 years after 2008, elections under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were allegedly rigged, with voters saying their ballots were cast without them even showing up.

That changed on Thursday when 173 million Bangladeshis got their democracy back. After a student-led uprising toppled Hasina's government in 2024 and sent her into exile, the country held its first legitimate parliamentary election in nearly two decades.

Jainab Lutfun Naher was pregnant with her daughter the last time she voted. On Thursday, that daughter turned 17, and Naher finally returned to the polls. "It feels absolutely great to vote," she said. "I want this country to prosper. I want it to be democratic, where everyone has rights and freedoms."

The atmosphere across polling stations resembled a religious holiday. First-time voter Nazmun Nahar said she "was so excited I could hardly sleep last night." Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin described voters participating in an exuberant "Eid-like atmosphere."

Millions of voters traveled to their hometowns to cast ballots, some riding on train rooftops during the three-day holiday declared for the election. Abdur Rahman, who made the journey on a packed train, said almost everyone he knew returned home to vote. "We were robbed of the joy of voting for so long," he explained. "None of us wanted to miss this opportunity."

People also voted on the "July Charter," a document proposing constitutional reforms to prevent future authoritarian rule. The charter emerged from the 2024 uprising that restored democracy to the nation.

The Ripple Effect

This election represents more than just choosing leaders. It shows how sustained peaceful resistance can restore democracy even after 15 years of authoritarian rule.

The youth activists who helped topple the old regime founded their own political party, giving the next generation a direct voice in rebuilding their country. Interim government head Muhammad Yunus called it "the birthday of a new Bangladesh," where people rejected the past and gained the opportunity to build something new.

Analysts reported isolated incidents but said the election was largely peaceful, with around 48 percent turnout by mid-afternoon. Voters chose representatives for 299 of 300 parliamentary seats, with official results expected the next morning.

After nearly two decades of watching others steal their voices, Bangladeshis finally got to speak for themselves again.

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