{"id":3902,"date":"2026-02-12T10:53:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=3902"},"modified":"2026-02-12T10:53:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:53:47","slug":"bangladesh-holds-most-consequential-election-in-years-foreign-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=3902","title":{"rendered":"Bangladesh Holds Most Consequential Election in Years \u2013 Foreign Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>Welcome to\u00a0<em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s South Asia Brief.<\/p>\n<p>The highlights this week: <strong>Bangladesh<\/strong> holds its first election since the ouster of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Islamabad grapples with the aftermath of its deadliest <strong>terrorist attack<\/strong> since 2008, and uncertainties persist in the <strong>U.S.-India trade deal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/south-asia-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<form data-shortcode-newsletter=\"south_asia_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"South Asia Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-south_asia_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-south_asia_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"south_asia_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"sign-up-text\">Sign Up<\/span><br \/>\n      <span class=\"loading-text\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Islamists on the Rise?<\/h3>\n<p>On Thursday, Bangladeshis will vote in one of their most consequential elections in years and the first since the 2024 uprising that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who ruled with an iron fist for 15 years. Hasina oversaw elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024 that were widely criticized by independent election observers as not free or fair.<\/p>\n<p>Despite concerns about election-related violence, the campaign period was relatively peaceful, and the public mood in Bangladesh appears positive. In an International Republican Institute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BGD-25-NS-01-PT-Public.pdf\">survey<\/a> conducted last September and October, 66 percent of respondents said they were very likely to vote, and 80 percent said they were optimistic that the elections would be free and fair.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the election unfolds amid some controversy. The interim government banned Hasina\u2019s Awami League from participating in political activities. That means one of the country\u2019s largest parties will be excluded from the vote. The Awami League\u2019s absence is a large part of why the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is the heavy favorite.<\/p>\n<p>The BNP is the country\u2019s other major dynastic party, which maintains a large base and vast financial resources despite being suppressed by the Awami League for years. The recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/crk733k1k1eo\">return<\/a> of Tarique Rahman, the BNP\u2019s chair and presumptive candidate for prime minister, from exile in London has energized the party. Rahman\u2019s mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, died on Dec. 30, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>There is another possibility that would mark a massive change in Bangladesh\u2019s electoral politics: a triumph for Jamaat-e-Islami, the conservative Islamist party that has historically failed to gain a critical mass of votes and is known more for serving as a junior partner in electoral alliances.<\/p>\n<p>Jamaat-e-Islami is controversial. It has ties to the Pakistani military forces that many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abebooks.com\/book-search\/title\/blood-telegram-nixon-kissinger\/author\/bass-gary\/\">scholars<\/a> say committed genocide in 1971 while trying to suppress Bangladesh\u2019s independence movement. The party also has past institutional linkages to terrorism: One of its former leaders, Maulana Saidur Rahman, <a href=\"https:\/\/ctc.westpoint.edu\/jamaatul-mujahidin-bangladesh-weakened-but-not-destroyed\/\">later became<\/a> a member of the militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh.<\/p>\n<p>But Jamaat-e-Islami\u2019s political fortunes have surged since Hasina\u2019s ouster. Soon after taking office in August 2024, the interim government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/bangladesh-revokes-ban-imposed-main-islamic-party-by-ex-pm-hasina-2024-08-28\/\">removed<\/a> a ban on the Islamist party. Last September, Jamaat-e-Islami\u2019s student wing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com.tr\/en\/asia-pacific\/jamaat-student-wing-wins-dhaka-university-election-in-political-upset\/3683742\">swept<\/a> elections at Dhaka University\u2014a contest long viewed as a national political barometer. The outcome was especially significant given the leading role of young people in the democratic uprising.<\/p>\n<p>Jamaat-e-Islami projects itself as an anti-corruption party that is committed to delivering on public welfare\u2014a powerful pitch, given the public\u2019s anger over <a href=\"https:\/\/acgc.cipe.org\/business-of-integrity-blog\/corruption-case-highlights-growing-political-divide-in-bangladesh\/\">graft<\/a> and concerns about economic stress. Significantly, the National Citizen Party\u2014a new party comprising student leaders from the 2024 uprising\u2014has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailystar.net\/news\/bangladesh\/politics\/news\/ncp-ldp-have-joined-jamaat-led-alliance-ameer-shafiqur-rahman-4067816\">joined<\/a> an alliance led by the Islamist party.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailystar.net\/opinion\/views\/news\/eight-reasons-explain-the-rise-jamaat-e-islami-4100626\">essay<\/a>, longtime Bangladesh watcher David Bergman offered other reasons that explain Jamaat-e-Islami\u2019s appeal: the weakening of its 1971 \u201cstigma\u201d as time passes, rising anti-India sentiment, and its reputation as a party that rejects old political traditions such as patronage.<\/p>\n<p>Jamaat-e-Islami is also taking more moderate positions. It has <a href=\"https:\/\/counterpointbd.com\/the-jamaat-factor?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email\">backed away<\/a> from advocating for Islamic law, and its leaders have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailystar.net\/news\/bangladesh\/politics\/news\/jamaat-offers-unconditional-apology-misdeeds-1947-till-date-4017041\">apologized<\/a> for its role in the 1971 atrocities. The party has even <a href=\"https:\/\/counterpointbd.com\/the-jamaat-factor?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email\">nominated<\/a> non-Muslim candidates in local elections. But old habits die hard: Current party leader Shafiqur Rahman recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/2026\/2\/9\/bangladeshs-jamaat-leader-shafiqur-rahman-the-man-everyone-wants-to-meet\">said<\/a> a woman could never lead the party.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Jamaat-e-Islami\u2019s electoral fate is linked to several critical debates in Bangladesh. These include the role of secularism in politics and the degree to which the ideas behind the 2024 uprising\u2014such as youth activism, anti-corruption, and broader political change\u2014continue to resonate with Bangladeshi society.<\/p>\n<p>Read more: Salil Tripathi writes on how, ahead of this election, most of Bangladesh\u2019s political parties failed to deliver on a modest commitment to put more <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/11\/bangladesh-election-few-women-ballot-bnp-jamaat-islami\/\">women on the ballot<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Following<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Islamabad mosque attack.<\/strong> Last Friday, a suicide bomber <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/02\/07\/nx-s1-5704332\/suicide-bombing-at-islamabad-mosque-kills-31-people\">targeted<\/a> a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, killing at least 31 people and wounding around 170. A local faction of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/2\/7\/thousands-mourn-32-victims-of-islamabad-shia-mosque-bombing-in-pakistan\">deadliest<\/a> in the Pakistani capital since a truck bomber killed more than 50 people at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel in 2008.<\/p>\n<p>The bombing, much like an attack last November at a courthouse in Islamabad, is an unusual occurrence in the capital, which has been largely spared from a surge in terrorist attacks in recent years. Most have occurred in the country\u2019s north and west, near the border with Afghanistan. Last Friday\u2019s attack brought back memories of deadlier periods in Pakistan\u2019s recent history.<\/p>\n<p>The tragedy was also a reminder of the complex challenge that Pakistan faces when it comes to terrorism. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has staged most of the recent attacks, but Pakistan also faces a potent threat from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which carried out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rferl.org\/a\/pakistan-balochistan-baloch-liberation-army-bla-attacks\/33669509.html\">coordinated attacks<\/a> in Balochistan province on Jan. 31.<\/p>\n<p>The Islamic State has been less active in Pakistan than the TTP or the BLA, but it has nonetheless staged large attacks, including one at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/bomb-blast-kills-11-rally-southwestern-pakistan-officials-say-2025-09-02\/\">public rally<\/a> in Balochistan last year. The offshoot that <a href=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2026\/02\/iskps-desperate-attacks-expose-its-weakness\/\">claimed<\/a> Friday\u2019s attack, the Islamic State-Pakistan Province, is little known compared with South Asia\u2019s main affiliate, the Islamic State-Khorasan Province\u2014making the horrific attack even more unsettling.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bangladesh, U.S. ink trade deal.<\/strong> On Monday, Bangladesh and the United States <a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/about\/policy-offices\/press-office\/fact-sheets\/2026\/february\/fact-sheet-united-states-and-bangladesh-reach-agreement-reciprocal-trade\">announced<\/a> a trade deal that reduces U.S. tariffs to 19 percent\u2014a somewhat symbolic decrease, as the levy was previously 20 percent, down from 37 percent when U.S. President Donald Trump first announced his steep tariffs last year.<\/p>\n<p>Still, it\u2019s a notable achievement for Bangladesh\u2019s interim government in its waning days. Under the <a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/about\/policy-offices\/press-office\/fact-sheets\/2026\/february\/fact-sheet-united-states-and-bangladesh-reach-agreement-reciprocal-trade\">accord<\/a>, certain Bangladeshi apparel and textile exports using U.S.-produced cotton and fiber will receive zero tariffs. (Ready-made garments are Bangladesh\u2019s top export.) The terms of the deal also give Bangladesh giving greater market access for a range of U.S. products, including agricultural goods, chemicals, and medical devices.<\/p>\n<p>Bangladesh also promised to protect internationally recognized labor rights, which may be tied to ongoing efforts to bring the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. (DFC) to Bangladesh. The DFC has so far declined to invest in Bangladesh because of labor rights concerns. But the country could benefit from DFC capital, which is currently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dfc.gov\/\">focused<\/a> on areas including agriculture, energy, and health.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Uncertainties persist in U.S.-India trade deal.<\/strong> Confusion remains about key elements of the trade framework agreement that Trump announced with India last week. One is the issue of Russian oil imports. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/2026\/02\/united-states-india-joint-statement\/\">joint statement<\/a> indicates that India will halt all Russian oil purchases, but that seems unlikely; New Delhi would struggle to find replacement imports at an attractive price.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s claim that India will buy more than $500 billion in U.S. goods has also sparked skepticism among analysts; this pledge appeared in the joint statement, too. On Monday, the United States released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2026\/02\/fact-sheet-the-united-states-and-india-announce-historic-trade-deal\/\">fact sheet<\/a> on the deal, which notably uses somewhat softer language about the two issues in question. (It also takes a few shots at India, slamming it for its \u201chistory of imposing highly protectionist non-tariff barriers.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p>The fact sheet notes India\u2019s \u201ccommitment\u201d to stop importing Russian oil and states that India \u201cintends\u201d to purchase $500 billion in U.S. goods. For now, what is known is that U.S. tariffs on India will come down from 50 percent to 18 percent and India will end or decrease tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods and many agricultural products.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>FP\u2019s Most Read This Week<\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Under the Radar<\/h3>\n<p>This month, Sri Lanka <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cntraveler.com\/story\/sri-lanka-just-launched-a-new-digital-nomad-visa\">became<\/a> the latest in a growing list of <a href=\"https:\/\/citizenremote.com\/blog\/digital-nomad-visa-countries\/\">countries<\/a> to offer digital nomad visas, which allow remote workers to reside temporarily in a country while working remotely for foreign companies or clients. In Sri Lanka\u2019s case, applicants must be 18 or older and earn at least $2,000 per month without dependents.<\/p>\n<p>The visa can be renewed annually and costs $500\u2014seemingly a bargain for an arrangement that gives one the option of working from the beach every day. Sri Lanka presumably hopes that foreigners will take advantage of this new opportunity and inject much-needed revenue into its economy\u2014especially its tourism industry.<\/p>\n<p>Sri Lanka is the second South Asian country to offer a digital nomad visa. <a href=\"https:\/\/citizenremote.com\/visas\/india\/\">India has one<\/a>, but it can\u2019t be renewed, and a number of nationalities (including, curiously, Sri Lankans) are excluded.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/11\/bangladesh-election-consequential-hasina-jamaat-islamist\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to\u00a0Foreign Policy\u2019s South Asia Brief. The highlights this week: Bangladesh holds its first election since the ouster of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Islamabad grapples with the aftermath of its deadliest terrorist attack since 2008, and uncertainties persist in the U.S.-India trade deal. Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3902","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}