Bangladesh elections: BNP confidently wins landmark vote

A large majority of Bangladeshi voters have endorsed a package of sweeping democratic reforms in a national referendum, the Election Commission said.

The referendum took place alongside parliamentary elections on Thursday, with 60.2% of voters backing the reforms, according to the commission.

The package, known as the "July Charter," is a key pillar of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Bangladeshi interim leader Muhammad Yunus's post-uprising transition agenda. It proposes the following:

• Two-term limits for prime ministers
• The creation of an upper house of parliament
• Stronger presidential powers and greater judicial independence
• Increased representation of women in parliament
• The election of the deputy speaker and parliamentary committee chairs from the opposition

The referendum in question stated that if the charter was approved, it would be "binding on the parties that win" the election, obliging them to endorse it. 

It's the first election after the government of Sheikh Hasina was toppled in 2024 and young voters in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, are calling for corruption‑free governance, better education and health care, and leaders who understand their generation. Many express concerns about political divisions, election security and the rights of minorities. Others stress the need for strong foreign policy and young leadership to shape Bangladesh’s future.

With voter turnout of 59.44%, Bangladesh's Election Commission has announced the parliamentary seat distribution as:

• Bangladesh Nationalist Party: 209 seats
• Jamaat-e-Islami: 68 seats
• National Citizen Party: 6 seats
• Independent:  7 seats
• Others: 5 seats
• 2 seats withheld for legal reasons
• 1 seat postponed following the death of a candidate

Expected alliances will bring a BNP-led group to 212 seats and a group led by Jamaat-e-Islami to 77.

According to initial results from the Election Commission, of 297 seats, BNP won 209 seats on its own.

BNP's allies Ganosamhati Andolan, Bangladesh Jatiya Party and Gono Odhikar Parishad won one seat each.

Election Commission figures showed Jamaat secured 68 seats on its own. Its allies National Citizen Party bagged six seats, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis two, and Khelafat Majlis one seat.

It is a quiet morning here in Dhaka, a stark contrast to election results days I've covered in South Asian neighbors India and Sri Lanka.

Some tell me it is because the results were rolling in all night, which meant many political party supporters (as well as us journalists) were up until this morning, and may only come out later in the day.

Another likely explanation is a call by the head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the likely future prime minister of the country, Tarique Rehman, to not hold victory rallies but to focus on offering Friday prayers.

Still, the mandate he's been given is already clear, even though final results for the last few seats are still trickling in — the center-right BNP has won in a landslide, claiming over two-thirds of the seats up for grabs.

We're expecting further word from the Election Commission, the winning BNP, and the second place Jamaat-e-Islami alliance, only after Friday prayers this afternoon.

Reports of Jamaat saying they are intent on forming a strong opposition seem to indicate they are willing to concede — but it's best to wait for their statement to be certain, given that they and their alliance partners have alleged widespread irregularities in the last hours since polls closed.

Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) prime ministerial candidate, looks set to become the country's next leader after the party claimed a "decisive victory" on Friday.

Rahman, 60, is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the BNP.

He returned home in December after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile following mass protests in 2024 that toppled longtime premier Sheikh Hasina.

Rahman has served as the party's acting chairman since his mother's imprisonment in 2018, who died shortly after his return in December.

Read more about Tarique Rahman here.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday congratulated Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on his "resounding" election victory.

"I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of elections," Sharif posted on X, adding that he looked forward to working closely with the new leadership to promote bilateral relations and advance shared goals.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated BNP chief Tarique Rahman on Friday on his "decisive victory" and said New Delhi would support "a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh."

"This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership," Modi said in a post on X, referring to Rahman.

"I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals."

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claimed a landslide victory in the first elections held since the 2024 student-led uprising, with leader Tarique Rahman positioned to become prime minister.

Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self-exile in London. He is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died in December.

The BNP's media unit said that the party had won enough seats in parliament to govern on its own.

Final results have not yet been announced by the Election Commission, but a BNP victory is being widely reported in local media outlets.

"This victory was expected. It is not surprising that the people of Bangladesh have placed their trust in a party... capable of realising the dreams that our youth envisioned during the uprising," Salahuddin Ahmed, a leading BNP committee member, told the AFP news agency.

The United States ambassador to Bangladesh has congratulated the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on what he said was its "historic victory."

"Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on a successful election and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Tarique Rahman on your historic victory," Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said in a post on X.

"The United States looks forward to working with you to realize shared goals of prosperity and security for both our countries," the diplomat added.

Results are not yet official, and counting continues for a total of the 299 constituencies of 300 in which voting took place. 

Broadcasters in Bangladesh are projecting that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is heading for a landslide win.

Jamuna TV, a private broadcaster, reported that the BNP had secured 211 seats, pushing well past the 150-seat threshold for a clear majority in the 300-seat parliament.

The Islamist-led coalition headed by Jamaat-e-Islami was reported to have won 70 seats, broadcasters projected, a huge leap from its past results but far short of the outright win it had campaigned for.

BNP election committee spokesman Mahdi Amin told reporters that the party was on track to win at least two-thirds of seats.

"Buoyed by strong public support, the BNP will secure a two-thirds majority and form the government," Amin said, adding that party chief Tarique Rahman had won "both seats" he had run in.

Final results have not yet been released by the Election Commission and it is suggesting it will have those ready by late Friday morning.

Bangladesh's Election Commission said results are likely to be clear by Friday morning local time — but one party has taken a clear lead already.

Preliminary results showed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) far ahead of its main rival, the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami.

A BNP victory would see party leader Tarique Rahman become the next prime minister. Rahman is the son of the former late prime minister Khaleda Zia.

With his party on the cusp of victory, Rahman called for restraint and asked party supporters not to organize any victory rallies for the time being, The Daily Star reported.

Meanwhile, the Awami League of Bangladesh's ousted former leader Sheikh Hasina was banned from contesting the election after its crackdown against student protesters in 2024. It expressed bitterness about the vote from the sidelines.

Senior figures inside the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) hailed the party's strong showing as results continue to roll in.

Early data showed that the BNP had won more than half of the seats in the 300-seat parliament.

“With the people’s love, BNP will form the government with two-thirds majority," Mahdi Amin, an adviser to party leader Tarique Rahman, told reporters.

"Based on constituency-wise results and unofficial data, we’re confident of our victory."

BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury described the result as a "landslide."

"Of course, BNP is winning, the majority of course, and it would even be a landslide victory," he said.

"Winning two-thirds of the seats is called a landslide victory, I think we would cross ‌the 200-seat limit."

The leader of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party  indicated he was prepared to concede the election as the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party reportedly enjoyed a strong lead.

Shafiqur ​Rahman told reporters that his party would not pursue a "politics of opposition" for the sake of it.

"We will do positive politics," he added.

However, Rahman did not not formally admit defeat. The vote count remains underway.