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The Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman has claimed a sweeping victory in the country’s first election since a gen-Z uprising toppled the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina.
By Friday morning, results had shown a clear win for the party, returning them to power after 20 years. It had been seen as the first free and fair election held in Bangladesh for almost two decades and came after a period of significant political upheaval in the country.
“This victory was expected,” said Salahuddin Ahmed, a leading BNP committee member. “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.”
Ahmed acknowledged a difficult task lay ahead for the new BNP government, which has pledged a new era of democracy and zero tolerance towards corruption. “This is not a time for celebration, as we will face mounting challenges in building a country free from discrimination,” he said.
By about 9am local time, the BNP had won 181 seats while their rival, the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, had claimed 61 seats. As counting continued, BNP leaders said the party was confident of winning 200 seats and securing a two-thirds majority.
India was among the first countries to congratulate the BNP. Relations between the two neighbours had plummeted since the fall of Hasina and the message from Indian prime minister, congratulating the BNP on their “decisive” win, was seen to send an olive branch to the new government. “India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh,” said Modi, adding that he was looking forward to working with Rahman.
The US embassy also congratulated the BNP on its “historic” election victory.
Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years of exile in London, is now poised to become the country’s next prime minister. He comes from one of the country’s most powerful political dynasties; the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and former president Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981.
The election was seen as a crucial test of Bangladesh’s democracy after years of political turmoil and the largely peaceful nature of the election was seen as a huge step forward for the country. Under Hasina’s regime, the past three elections had been marred by widespread allegations of vote-rigging, the stuffing of ballot boxes and harassment and jailing of political opponents.
According to the election commission, preliminary figures showed nationwide voter turnout at 60.69%, far exceeding the 42% seen at the last elections. This was also the first election that had given the overseas diaspora an opportunity to vote. Postal votes, which also included officials in the country who could not return home to cast their ballot, saw a notable 80.11% participation rate.
The student-led uprising that toppled Hasina’s 15-year regime in August 2024 had been prompted by mounting anger over widespread corruption, human rights abuses and an economic slump. The uprising, and Hasina’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters, left an estimated 1,400 people dead, according to the UN.
A clear outcome had been seen as crucial for stability in the Muslim-majority nation of 175 million. The newly-elected government now faces an uphill task of restoring democracy, law and order and economic growth to the country.
The BNP’s campaign promises included financial aid for poor families, a limit of 10 years for an individual to remain prime minister, boosting the economy via measures including foreign investment, and anti-corruption policies.
Shafiqur Rahman, the head Jamaat-e-Islami, conceded defeat, with his party and its allies on 61 seats. Rahman said Jamaat would not engage in the “politics of opposition” for the sake of it. “We will do positive politics,” he told reporters.
However, the results are a historic showing for the Islamist party, which had previously never held more than 18 seats in parliament, and is likely to be a formidable opposition to the BNP.
In a statement on Friday morning, Jamaat-e-Islami alleged some irregularities in vote counting in constituencies where their candidates suffered narrow losses, which they said “raises serious questions about the integrity of the results process”.
The election had been seen as Bangladesh’s first truly competitive vote in years. Hasina’s Awami League party, which ruled the country for more than 15 years until her ousting, was barred from contesting.
More than 2,000 candidates – including many independents – were on the ballot, and at least 50 parties contested seats, a national record.
Alongside the election, a referendum was held on a set of constitutional reforms, including establishing a neutral interim government for election periods, restructuring parliament into a bicameral legislature, increasing women’s representation, strengthening judicial independence and introducing a two-term limit for the prime minister.
Official results for the referendum had yet to be announced but early counting suggested it had passed with more then 60% of a yes vote.
Hasina fled to India, a long-term ally, after a war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity, committed during the final throes of her regime. Her escape has frayed ties between Dhaka and New Delhi and opened the window for China to expand its influence in Bangladesh.
In a statement sent after polling stations closed, Hasina denounced the election as a “carefully planned farce”, held without her party and without real voter participation. She said Awami League supporters had rejected the process.
As documented for years by human rights groups and the UN, Hasina’s regime routinely suppressed dissent of its critics and opponents, thousands who were disappeared, tortured and killed in secret jails. Many emerged only after Hasina was toppled. Freedom of the press and judicial independence were crushed and elections reduced to a staged farce.
With Reuters
