International media spotlight on Bangladesh's election

Nearly 17 months after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in the mass uprising, Bangladesh is set to hold a national parliamentary election. A referendum on several fundamental questions of state reform will also take place concurrently. International media outlets are giving significant coverage to Thursday's election in Bangladesh.

Reuters: Gen Z voters' expectations
The news agency Reuters has published a report titled 'Bangladesh's Gen Z voters' expectations: Jobs, good governance and freedom'.

The report noted that jobs, good governance, and the freedom to speak without fear are the top priorities for Bangladesh's Gen Z voters. The South Asian nation is heading to the national election nearly 17 months after longtime prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a student-led mass uprising in 2024.

Thursday's vote is being seen as the first competitive election in the Muslim-majority country since 2008, the Reuters report said. The Awami League has not been allowed to contest the election, with the Election Commission suspending the party's registration.

The report added that major industrial sectors, including readymade garments, have been affected by months of instability in the country of 175 million people. As the world's second-largest garment exporter, a clear and acceptable electoral outcome is crucial to restore stability.

AFP: High turnout expected
Agence France-Presse (AFP) has published a report titled 'High voter turnout expected in Bangladesh election after mass uprising'.

The report said the Election Commission of Bangladesh is expecting a massive voter turnout in the first election since the end of 15 years of autocracy in the 2024 mass uprising.

Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Muhammad Sanaullah told journalists that many young people now in their twenties and thirties were effectively deprived of the freedom to vote for their preferred candidates during Sheikh Hasina's iron-fisted rule.

The New York Times: Young voters' demands
The influential US media outlet The New York Times has published a report titled 'Bangladesh's young voters voice diverse demands ahead of Thursday's election'.

The report opened by noting that many young voters participated in the 2024 movement that toppled the government. They hope the upcoming election will chart a new direction for the country.

Al Jazeera: Security tightened
Qatar-based Al Jazeera has published a report titled 'Bangladesh tightens security ahead of first election since 2024 mass uprising'.

The report said Bangladesh is preparing to hold its 13th National Parliamentary Election. This is the first election since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's 'autocratic' rule in the 2024 mass uprising, which forced her into exile.

More than 157,000 police officers, backed by 100,000 soldiers and thousands of other security personnel, have been deployed across the country for Thursday's vote, Al Jazeera reported. The number of registered voters is nearly 127 million.

Deutsche Welle: Islamist influence grows
Germany-based Deutsche Welle has published a report titled 'Islamist influence grows as Bangladesh prepares for election'.

It said Bangladesh's upcoming election on February 12 is unlike any other in recent history. With the long-ruling Awami League barred from contesting, an Islamist party, allied with the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), has emerged as a strong contender.

For the first time since independence in 1971, Islamist forces appear ready to make their strongest-ever electoral showing, Deutsche Welle reported, creating new expectations about the political future of the Muslim-majority nation.

The Hindu: Security measures
Indian media outlet The Hindu has published a report titled 'Bangladesh election: Over 50% polling centres 'risk-prone', CCTV installed at most stations'.

The report said more than half of Bangladesh's polling centres have been identified as 'risk-prone' for the general election. Officials said 90 per cent of these centres will be under CCTV surveillance, and many policemen deployed in Dhaka will use body cameras.