Dhaka, Feb 13 (.) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Tarique Rahman, appears headed for a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections, local media reported on Friday. The crucial 13th parliamentary vote is expected to deliver an elected government in the South Asian nation, replacing the interim administration that assumed power following the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024.
Held on Thursday, the election was Bangladesh’s first national vote since the 2024 student-led mass protests that ousted long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Bangladesh Election Commission said final results would be announced after full verification, and it was not immediately clear whether all postal ballots were included in early counts.
According to unofficial results, the BNP has crossed the majority threshold required to form a government. The party is leading in around 177 seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami is ahead in more than 53 constituencies. Results for over 225 of the 299 seats have been declared, with the remaining still pending.
A party or alliance requires 151 seats for a simple majority in the 300-member Jatiya Sangsad. Media tallies indicate that the BNP and its allies have secured well above that mark. However, the Election Commission (EC) has yet to issue a final, consolidated announcement, saying results from several constituencies are still being compiled and verified.
The election was widely seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, as the now-dissolved Awami League-led by ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was barred from contesting the polls.
Bangladesh has been governed for the past 18 months by an interim administration headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Voting in the parliamentary election was held simultaneously with a nationwide referendum on an 84-point reform proposal known as the July National Charter. Media tallies indicated that 4,137,196 votes were cast for the referendum, with 2,700,844 (65.3 percent) in favour of the reform proposal.
Earlier, the BNP announced that if victorious, it would nominate Tarique Rahman, son of party chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, as the next prime minister.
“We are confident of forming the government by winning more than two-thirds of the seats,” BNP Central Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said.
Unofficial tallies also suggest the BNP and its allies are leading in a significantly larger number of constituencies, raising the possibility of a two-thirds majority if trends hold.
Jamaat-e-Islami reported notable gains, claiming leads or victories in around 60 seats based on internal assessments. The National Citizen Party (NCP), which emerged from the student-led uprising and aligned with the Jamaat-led bloc, said it had won six constituencies, The Daily Star reported.
On the other hand, Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher was leading the race in Cumilla-12, while Nayeb-e-Ameer ATM Azharul Islam from Rangpur-2, and Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman from Dhaka-14 were ahead of their competitors in their respective constituencies.
NCP Convener Nahid Islam was leading the race in Dhaka-11, while Member Secretary Akhter Hossen from Rangpur-4, Chief Organiser (Southern Region) Hasnat Abdullah from Cumilla-4, and Joint Convener Atik Mujahid from Kurigram-2 were ahead of their rivals, according to unofficial results.
Senior BNP leaders performed strongly in preliminary counts. Tarique Rahman and Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir were declared winners in their respective constituencies. Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in December after more than 17 years abroad, was reported to have won from both Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6.
Voter participation was reported across age groups, with women and first-time voters turning out in notable numbers. Turnout had reached 47.91 percent by 2:00 pm, according to EC data from most polling centres.
Security was tight nationwide, with armed forces, police, and other law enforcement agencies deployed across polling stations. While isolated incidents were reported, the election was widely described as largely peaceful.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus called the vote a moment of renewal for the country. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman described the day as significant and urged citizens to participate without fear.
Tarique Rahman said the BNP would accept the outcome provided the election remained neutral and peaceful, adding that restoring law and order would be a priority if the party formed the government.
If confirmed, the BNP-led bloc’s projected victory would mark one of the most significant political shifts in Bangladesh in nearly two decades.
In a statement sent after polling stations closed, former PM Sheikh Hasina denounced the election as a “carefully planned farce”, held without her party and without real voter participation. She said Awami League supporters had rejected the process.
“We demand the cancellation of this voterless, illegal and unconstitutional election … the removal of the suspension imposed on the activities of the Awami League, and the restoration of the people’s voting rights through the arrangement of a free, fair, and inclusive election under a neutral caretaker government,” she said.
Opponents of Hasina say that elections under her rule were frequently marred by boycotts and intimidation.
