The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) appears to be set for a sweeping return to power on Friday, racing past the halfway mark in Bangladesh’s first general election since the violent 2024 uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
Television projections indicated that the BNP had comfortably crossed the 150-seat threshold required for a majority in the 300-member Jatiya Sangsad, with Jamuna TV forecasting as many as 212 seats for the party. BNP leaders swiftly claimed victory, declaring that the party was on course to form the next government.
“BNP is set to form the government after winning the majority of seats,” party representatives said.
The Election Commission has yet to announce final results for all constituencies, stating that official figures for 299 seats, voting was held in 300, would be released by late Friday morning. A further 50 seats reserved for women will be allocated proportionally based on party representation.
Without waiting for the formal declaration, the United States Embassy in Dhaka congratulated BNP leader Tarique Rahman on what it described as a “historic victory”. US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen wrote on X, “Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on a successful election and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Tarique Rahman on your historic victory. The United States looks forward to working with you to realize shared goals of prosperity and security for both our countries.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his congratulations. “I convey my warm congratulations to Mr Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh,” Mr Modi posted on X. “This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership.” He added that India would continue to support “a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh” and expressed hope of strengthening bilateral ties.
Rahman, 60, the eldest son of former President Ziaur Rahman and three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia, is poised to become prime minister. He returned to Bangladesh after nearly 17 years in exile in the United Kingdom following his mother’s death in December last year. Party sources said he won both constituencies, Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6, from which he contested.
The polls were historic not only for the BNP’s resurgence but also because they were the first in decades without either Khaleda Zia or Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in a mass student-led uprising in August 2024 and has since remained in India. Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting after its registration was suspended by the interim administration.
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who assumed office after Hasina’s removal, is expected to step down once the new government takes charge.
The Islamist-led coalition headed by Jamaat-e-Islami was projected to win around 70 seats, a significant improvement on its past performance but well short of the majority it had sought. Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman conceded defeat and signalled a conciliatory approach. “We will do positive politics,” he said, adding that his party would not engage in obstructionist opposition.
The election also included a referendum on the July National Charter, a reform package agreed upon by the Yunus-led interim government and several political parties. Proposals include limiting prime ministers to two terms, creating an upper house of parliament, and reinstating the caretaker system to oversee elections.
Sheikh Hasina, however, rejected the legitimacy of the vote. Calling the polls “deceptive”, she demanded their cancellation, alleging low turnout and empty polling stations. “In this situation, we demand the cancellation of this voterless, illegal, and unconstitutional election; the resignation of Yunus,” she said in a statement.
The campaign and its aftermath have been closely watched in New Delhi amid concerns over Dhaka’s evolving foreign policy orientation. India has expressed unease over growing ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan and China since Hasina’s ouster, as well as reports of attacks on minorities, including Hindus. India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The election is going on in Bangladesh. We should wait for the outcome to see what sort of mandate has come... and thereafter, we will look at issues that are there.”
Rahman has acknowledged strains in relations with India and said any future engagement would be based on reciprocity. He told The Guardian he sought “a relationship of mutual respect, mutual understanding,” adding that the rebuilding of ties would “depend” on both sides.
Rahman’s political career has been marked by controversy. Arrested in 2007 during the military-backed caretaker government, he spent 17 months in custody and was later convicted in absentia on corruption and money-laundering charges, as well as in a case linked to an alleged assassination plot against Hasina. Those convictions were overturned following Hasina’s removal from office.
