Next Bangladeshi parliamentary election

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In 2007, parliamentary elections were scheduled to be held in Bangladesh. They were originally scheduled for 21 January, but postponed by two days due to demands by the opposition made in December 2006.^[1] They were put back by one day to 22 January,^[2] and subsequently postponed due to opposition protests and boycott threats.

Riots erupted in October 2006 as the government of outgoing Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her Bangladesh National Party was to turn over power to a caretaker government of MK Hasan. At least three people died as thousands of demonstrators gathered on the streets in numerous towns; the opposition objected to Hasan because it felt he was too close to the BNP.^[3] President Iajuddin Ahmed became head of the caretaker government instead, but he is also opposed by Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina and her allies, who accuse him of favoring Zia. On January 3, 2007, Hasina announced that the Awami League and its allies would boycott the election,^[4] but the Election Commission stated that the election would be held regardless of the boycott.^[5]

From January 4, 2007 until January 7, 2007 public protests were held to reach electoral reform; these protests brought the capital, Dhaka, to a standstill,^[6] and led to a state of emergency being declared on January 11, 2007 by Ahmed, who stepped down as chief advisor a few hours later. He also said that the elections would be delayed, and that Fazlul Haque would become acting chief adviser until Ahmed appointed a new chief adviser within a few days.^[7]^[8] Later on the same day, Fakhruddin Ahmed was appointed as the new chief adviser.^[9]