The Bangladesh Nationalist Party claimed a decisive victory in Friday’s parliamentary election, according to local TV reports, earning a commanding mandate in a vote seen as critical for restoring political stability in the South Asian nation.
Thursday’s election marked Bangladesh’s first national vote since the 2024 Gen Z-led uprising that toppled long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Observers had emphasized that a clear outcome was vital for stability in the country of 175 million, where months of anti-Hasina protests had disrupted daily life and affected key industries, including the apparel sector, Bangladesh being the world’s second-largest garment exporter.
The election was also notable as the first in the region following youth-led revolts in several South Asian countries. Nepal, for instance, is scheduled to hold a national vote next month.
Opinion polls had favored the BNP, and the results confirmed those forecasts. Jamuna TV reported that the coalition dominated by the BNP won 209 seats, giving it an overwhelming two-thirds majority in the 300-member Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation.
Soon after the results, the party expressed gratitude to the voters and called for prayers for the nation’s welfare.
“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. It urged citizens to pray at mosques, temples, churches, and pagodas across the country.
The BNP is led by prime ministerial contender Tarique Rahman, 60, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and ex-President Ziaur Rahman.
The party’s campaign platform included financial support for poor families, a 10-year cap on the prime minister’s term, measures to boost the economy such as foreign investment, and anti-corruption policies.
Jamaat Concedes Defeat
Shafiqur Rahman, leader of the BNP’s main rival, the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, accepted defeat, with his alliance winning just 68 seats. Rahman said his party would not engage in opposition “for the sake of it.” He told reporters, “We will do positive politics.”
The National Citizen Party (NCP), led by youth activists who had helped oust Hasina and allied with Jamaat, secured only five of the 30 seats it contested.
Despite the BNP’s landslide, the vote represented Bangladesh’s first truly competitive election in years, though Hasina’s Awami League, which governed for over 15 years until her removal, was barred from participating.
Voter turnout appeared robust, with local reports estimating more than 60% of registered voters casting ballots, surpassing the 42% turnout in the 2024 election. Over 2,000 candidates, including independents, contested the vote, and at least 50 parties participated, a national record. Voting in one constituency was postponed after a candidate’s death.
Referendum on Constitutional Reforms
In tandem with the election, Bangladesh held a referendum on constitutional reforms.
These included creating a neutral interim government for election periods, restructuring parliament into a bicameral legislature, increasing women’s representation, enhancing judicial independence, and introducing a two-term limit for the prime minister.
Although there has been no official announcement, the leading newspaper Daily Star reported that 73% of nearly 296,000 votes favored the reforms, with the remainder opposing.
Hasina Denounces Election
Sheikh Hasina, currently in self-imposed exile in India, a move that has strained Dhaka-New Delhi relations and opened opportunities for China in Bangladesh, denounced the election as a “carefully planned farce,” claiming it excluded her party and real voter participation.
She said, “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.”
Critics of Hasina note that elections during her tenure were often marked by boycotts and intimidation.
