Tarique Rahman’s BNP claims majority in landmark Bangladesh election
Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says it has won a majority in Thursday’s landmark election and will form the next government.
The Jamuna TV broadcaster, citing provisional results, says the BNP and its allies won 211 of the 299 constituency seats, while the rival Jamaat-e-Islami alliance won 70 seats.
Official results have not yet been delivered by the Bangladesh Election Commission.
BNP has shared a post on social media celebrating its wins.
“The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is set to form the government after winning the majority of seats,” the BNP Media Cell said.
Tarique Rahman, who became chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) following the death of his mother and Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, in December, had led the party from exile in London for nearly 17 years.
Shafiqur Rahman, head of Jamaat-e-Islami, has said his party will respect the results of the election, whatever they may be, and that it will not engage in obstructive “politics of opposition” should it lose.
Parliament comprises 350 lawmakers, 300 of whom are elected directly from single-member constituencies, while an additional 50 seats are reserved for women. Elections were held for 299 seats due to the death of one candidate.
Polls held for the 13th National Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh, the first since a student-led uprising toppled longtime leader Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024. Besides the parliamentary election, the country is holding a referendum on the National Charter 2025 – a document drafted by the interim government for setting the foundation for future governance.
