Bangladesh National elections are scheduled for February 2026, which will serve as a critical test of Bangladesh’s democratic recovery. The exclusion of the Awami League from participation has already cast doubt on the inclusiveness of the process. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is expected to play a central role, while Jamaat-e-Islami—previously banned under Hasina’s government for links to extremist ideology—has re-emerged as a competitive political force, particularly in university politics.

Bangladesh’s current political turbulence cannot be understood without revisiting the historical foundations of the state itself. The roots of Bangladesh’s independence lie not only in economic neglect or political marginalization, but also in a deeper struggle over identity, language, and democratic representation.

Historical Foundations: Language, Power, and Exclusion

In 1948, Muhammad Ali Jinnah addressed students at Dhaka University and declared that Urdu alone would be the state language of Pakistan. For the Bengali-speaking majority of East Pakistan, this moment symbolized a profound denial of cultural and political equality. The Language Movement that followed planted the earliest seeds of Bengali nationalism and exposed the limitations of Pakistan’s belief that religion alone could bind its eastern and western wings.

These tensions culminated after the 1970 general elections, when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League secured a clear majority in the national parliament but was denied the opportunity to form a government. Power remained concentrated among West Pakistan’s military and political elite, dominated by Urdu-speaking and Punjabi groups. East Pakistan was treated less as an equal partner and more as an internal colony. The result was catastrophic: a brutal conflict in 1971, India’s military intervention, and the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent state.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is widely regarded as the founding father of Bangladesh. His assassination in 1975, along with most of his family, marked the beginning of prolonged political instability. Only his two daughters survived the attack, one of whom—Sheikh Hasina—would later dominate Bangladesh’s political landscape for decades.

Sheikh Hasina’s Rule: Growth Without Democratic Depth

Sheikh Hasina first became prime minister in 1996 and returned to power in 2009, remaining in office until August 2024. Under her leadership, Bangladesh achieved remarkable economic progress. The country emerged as one of South Asia’s fastest-growing economies, with sustained growth, rising per capita income, and notable advances in manufacturing and human development indicators.

Yet this economic success came alongside democratic regression. Over time,........

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