Dhaka, Feb 13: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday claimed victory in the crucial general elections, which were marred by sporadic incidents of violence, to form a new government and replace the interim administration that took charge after the fall of the Awami League regime in August 2024.
“The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP is set to form the government after winning the majority of seats,” the party’s media cell posted on X.
The Election Commission (EC) has yet to make a formal announcement. However, multiple media reports indicate that the BNP is expected to secure the majority of seats, with early tallies suggesting it won over 151 of the 300 parliamentary seats — enough to form the next government and end the 18-month rule of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration.
An EC spokesperson said results in several constituencies are still being processed and are likely to be announced in the coming hours.
The election was primarily a contest between the BNP and its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of the debarred Awami League, led by ousted premier Sheikh Hasina. Voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was also held alongside a referendum on implementing an 84-point reform package, known as the July National Charter.
BNP last held power from 2001 to 2006, when Jamaat-e-Islami played a key role, with two of its leaders serving as ministers. Jamaat has raised allegations of “abnormal delays” and “result tampering,” warning of a tough movement if the public mandate is “snatched away.”
Speaking to reporters at the EC building early Friday, Jamaat’s assistant secretary-general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair alleged that returning officers were intentionally delaying results to favour a “particular party.”
The BNP earlier announced that if it wins the election, its chairman Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, would become Bangladesh’s next prime minister — the first male PM in 35 years. “We are confident of forming the government by winning more than two-thirds of seats,” BNP spokesman Mahdi Amin said during an early morning briefing on Friday.
Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in December after more than 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.
The EC has not yet announced the voter turnout figure but dismissed allegations of manipulation at 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 said on Thursday evening, adding that variations are natural as results from thousands of polling centres arrive at different times.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said that by 2 pm on Thursday, 47.91 per cent of voters had cast ballots at 36,031 of the 42,651 polling centres.
More than 2,000 candidates, including several independents, contested 299 of the 300 parliamentary constituencies. Voting for one seat was postponed due to the death of a candidate. Nearly 1 million security personnel were deployed for the elections — the largest-ever deployment in Bangladesh’s electoral history. (Agencies)
