London, Feb. 12 -- As voting gets underway across Bangladesh, the country finds itself at a pivotal moment following the dramatic political upheaval of 2024 that removed long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power. The elections, described by observers as both a referendum and a general vote, are being closely watched at home and abroad for signals about the nation's democratic future.

Senior political analyst Chris Blackburn, speaking to ANI, described the current period as transformative. "Well, I think what we're seeing in Bangladesh, it's a historic sort of generational shift," he said. "We've seen obviously that Sheikh Hasina fell in 2024, but we've also seen the death of Khalid Aziz. He was a major figure in Bangladeshi polit...