Tarique Rahman leads BNP to historic win in Bangladesh elections

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday (February 13) surged toward a decisive victory in the landmark parliamentary elections, poised to return to power after two decades.

The elections gained significance as they were held following a period of political turmoil, instability, and a fragile security situation, including widespread attacks on minorities after student-led protests toppled Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule in August 2024.

It is becoming increasingly clear that BNP’s top leader, Tarique Rahman, is set to become the prime minister, succeeding the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Also read | Bangladesh poll body claims 55-60% turnout, but ground reports tell a different story

The BNP, under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, has surpassed the 200-seat mark, winning 208 seats as of 12:20 pm local time, according to The Daily Star. Vote counting is still in progress in 15 constituencies as the process enters its final stage. Jamaat-e-Islami, meanwhile, was limited to double-digit figures as results continued to come in, reflecting the scale of the BNP’s gains.

The Election Commission (EC) is yet to make a formal announcement. An EC spokesperson said the results in several seats were still being processed and were likely to be announced in a few hours.

High-stakes reform referendum vote

The election was seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has been in place for 18 months.

The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on the the July National Charter, a reform document born out of the 2024 uprising that proposes major constitutional changes. Unofficial results from Bangladesh’s referendum indicate strong public support for the July Charter. According to The Daily Star, about 72.9 per cent of counted votes were in favour of adopting the charter, while 27.1 per cent were opposed.

The BNP had earlier announced that if it wins the election, then its chairman and former premier Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman would be the next prime minister of Bangladesh. "We are confident of forming the government by winning more than two-thirds of seats," BNP's central election steering committee spokesman Mahdi Amin told a media briefing in the early hours of Friday.

Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in December last year after over 17 years in self-exile, asked party leaders and activists to offer special prayers across the country after mid-day 'Juma' prayers instead of holding victory rallies.

Turnout debate amid tight security

The EC was yet to announce the voter turnout figure. It dismissed allegations of manipulation regarding voters' appearances in polling centres. "There were debates over turnout percentages in past elections as well. Please don't question it now," Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasur Uddin told a reporter on Thursday evening. He said variations were natural as results from several thousand polling centres arrived at different times.

Also read | Bangladesh elections marred by violence; BNP leader dies during altercation

EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed earlier said 47.91 per cent voters had cast ballots by 2 pm on Thursday at 36,031 of the 42,651 polling centres.

More than 2,000 candidates, including a number of independents, were in the fray for 299 of the 300 parliamentary constituencies that went to polls. Polling for one seat was postponed due to the death of a candidate.

The counting of votes began soon after voting concluded at 4:30 pm (local time). The Election Commission made elaborate security arrangements for the elections, deploying nearly 1 million security personnel -- the largest-ever in the country's electoral history.

Modi congratulates Rahman

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday warmly greeted Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman on his “decisive victory” in Bangladesh's parliamentary elections and said he looked forward to working with him to advance common development goals.

“I convey my warm congratulations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh,” Modi said in a post on X. Modi said Rahman’s victory showed the trust of the people of Bangladesh in his leadership.

“India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals,” Modi said.