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... Now, as Bangladesh prepares to hold its first election since the uprising, women are largely absent from the political stage. On the black-and-white campaign banners that line the streets of this cacophonous capital, the faces that stare down at voters are nearly all male.

Only a handful of small, left-wing parties have nominated more than a token few women. And of the women who are on the ballot, about one-third are the wives and daughters of male politicians.

Controversy over the mostly male nominees comes as conservative Islamist groups have sought to fill the power vacuum left by Ms. Hasina's ouster, asserting greater influence in public life.

For reformers who believed the 2024 uprising would usher in an era of greater gender parity, the nominations have been a rude awakening, raising questions about the appetite for social and cultural change in the majority-Muslim country. ...