Topic summary
2024 Bangladeshi general election
- Parties and Alliances
- Ministries
- Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act, 2013
- Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009
- Cyber Security Act, 2023
- Fifteenth constitutional amendment
- International Crimes Tribunal
- 2013 Shahbag protests
- Enforced disappearances (Aynaghar)
- Bangladesh Rifles revolt
- Abolition of Caretaker Government
- 2015 Rohingya crisis
- 2013 Bangladesh violence
- Padma Bridge graft scandal
- Young Bangla
- Attacks by Islamic extremists
- July 2016 Dhaka attack
- Bangladesh Bank robbery
- 2021 anti-Hindu violence
- Persecution of journalists
- 2015 political crisis
- Suppressed freedom of expression
- Indo-Bangla land boundary agreement, 2015
- COVID-19 pandemic
- 2024 State visit to China
- Vision 2021
- Delta Plan
- Jamuna Bridge
- Forces Goal 2030
- Digital Bangladesh
- Padma Bridge
- Dhaka–Jessore line
- Karnaphuli Tunnel
- Rampal Power Station
- Ganges Barrage Project
- Port of Payra
- Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
- Purbachal New Town
- Ashrayan-2
- Bangladesh Satellite-1
- Metro Rail
- Matarbari Port
- Dhaka Elevated Expressway
- Chittagong Elevated Expressway
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 7 January 2024 in accordance with the constitutional requirement, stating that elections must take place within the 90-day period before the expiration of the current term of the Jatiya Sangsad on 29 January 2024. The Awami League, led by incumbent Sheikh Hasina, won the election for the fourth consecutive time with less than 40% of the eligible voters voting according to an Election Commission, which was run by the ruling political party. The party won 224 seats while independent candidates, most of whom were Awami League members propped up as dummy candidates to give a semblance of competition, won 62 seats.
In the lead-up to the election, the incumbent government led by Sheikh Hasina cracked down on opposition parties and silenced critics of the government. Hasina's prime ministership has been described as authoritarian since being re-elected in 2008, and in 2011 removed the requirement that a temporary independent caretaker government be formed to hold elections. The main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, boycotted the elections (as they did in 2014) as they assumed that the election commission under the incumbent government were unable to organise a free and fair election.
A protest over the election turnout emerged as the Chief Election Commissioner initially claimed, based on the data at hand, that turnout was 28%, but later retracted that statement to claim turnout was around 40%.
The United States Department of State, in a statement, said that the election "was not free and fair" and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office termed the election "lacking the preconditions of democracy." According to The Economist, through this election, Bangladesh "effectively became a one-party state."
On 5 August 2024, Sheikh Hasina fled the country, facing a widespread student protest that turned into a national uprising against her rule. The movement succeeded and the 12th Jatiya Sangsad was dissolved. An interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus took charge as per the demand of the students. Both Sheikh Hasina (by virtue of being sentenced to death) and her party are barred from running in the 2026 election.