Dhaka, Bangladesh – Standing in a long queue at a government school in the capital Dhaka, Hasan Hoque, a former teacher, laughs and chats with a group of men who just arrived to cast their ballots.“It’s been a while standing in this line, but nothing matches the feeling of casting my own vote. It feels like a festival,” Hoque told Al Jazeera, smiling.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe last time he voted was in 2008 – the year former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned to power and allegedly rigged subsequent elections until her autocratic 15-year regime was challenged by a student-led uprising in 2024, toppling her government and forcing her into exile in India.“The elections we had after 2008 were farcical and one-sided under Awami League,” Hoque said, referring to Hasina’s political party, which was barred from elections after the uprising. “They would cast our votes themselves, so we were not even needed at the polling centres in those years.”That changed on Thursday as Bangladesh held its first parliamentary election since the 2024 uprising, with the country of 173 million people seeking a return to democracy after years of turmoil.Alongside choosing a new parliament, people also voted in a referendum to endorse the so-called “July Charter”, a document born out of the 2024 uprising that proposes sweeping constitutional reforms in order to save the country from future authoritarian rule.‘Eid-like atmosphere’Like Hoque, Jainab Lutfun Naher had also returned to the polling …
