The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has declared a sweeping victory in Bangladesh’s first national election since the 2024 student-led uprising that forced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from office.
The vote, held amid a ban on Hasina’s Awami League, has been described as the country’s first genuinely competitive election in years.
Voter turnout exceeded 60 percent, according to officials.
In a statement on Friday, the BNP’s media wing said the party had won enough parliamentary seats to form a government independently.
Although the Election Commission has yet to publish final certified results, multiple local media outlets projected a BNP victory.
Television coverage showed the party surpassing the halfway mark in the 300-member parliament as counting continued.
Opinion surveys had indicated the BNP held a lead going into the vote, and early results appeared to confirm those expectations.
According to local broadcasters, the BNP-led coalition secured 209 seats, delivering a two-thirds majority. Of those, BNP candidates won 151 seats, Ekattor TV reported, citing Reuters.
Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is expected to be sworn in as prime minister on 17 February. Rahman, 60, returned to Bangladesh in December after spending 17 years in self-imposed exile in London.
During the campaign, Rahman pledged financial support for low-income families, proposed a 10-year cap on the tenure of any prime minister, and promised to strengthen the economy through foreign investment and anti-corruption reforms.
Supporters gathered outside the Election Commission headquarters early Friday as BNP’s seat count climbed steadily.
The party thanked voters and called for nationwide prayers for the country’s well-being.
“Despite winning the national parliamentary election by a large margin of votes, no celebratory procession or rally shall be organised by BNP,” the party said in a statement and urged people to pray at mosques, temples, churches, and pagodas across the country.
Shafiqur Rahman, head of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, conceded defeat after his alliance secured 68 seats. He said Jamaat would not engage in the “politics of opposition” for the sake of it. “We will do positive politics,” he told reporters.
The National Citizen Party (NCP), led by youth activists who played a key role in toppling Hasina and aligned with the Jamaat coalition, won five of the 30 seats it contested.
The United States Embassy in Dhaka congratulated Rahman and the BNP, calling the outcome a “historic victory”.
“The United States looks forward to working with you to achieve shared goals of prosperity and security for both our countries,” US ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen wrote on X.
India, whose relations with Dhaka have been strained in recent months, was among the first countries to extend congratulations.
“This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership. India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh,” wrote Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X.
“I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals.”
Thursday’s vote took place under heavy security, with concerns raised over democratic backsliding, rising political violence and weakening rule of law. Many observers saw the election as a decisive test of Bangladesh’s ability to rebuild democratic institutions following months of unrest.
Voters turned out in large numbers across the country. Muhammad Yunus, who headed the interim government after Hasina’s removal, described the atmosphere as festive. “It is like Eid.” “A big future is coming up. We are creating a new Bangladesh,” he told reporters outside a polling station.
For much of the past 15 years, the BNP remained in opposition, boycotting several elections and accusing Hasina’s administration of systematic vote manipulation and political repression. Rahman spent years abroad after facing multiple corruption and criminal charges brought by the Awami League government, which he denied as politically motivated.
The cases were dropped following the collapse of Hasina’s government, clearing the way for his return. Hasina is now in self-imposed exile in India, a development that has further complicated ties between Dhaka and New Delhi and created opportunities for China to expand its influence in Bangladesh.
In a statement issued after polls closed, Hasina dismissed the election as a “carefully planned farce”, conducted without her party and lacking genuine 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.
