The first election since Sheikh Hasina's ouster as Bangladeshi PM in 2024 started on Thursday, with Bangladeshis lining up at booths to cast their votes. The two leading parties in the election are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat‑e‑Islami, and opinion polls have reportedly given an edge to BNP. Hasina's Awami League has been banned from participating in polls.