DHAKA: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has secured a commanding victory in the country’s 13th parliamentary election, the first national vote since the 2024 student-led uprising ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, according to unofficial results compiled by local media .
Unofficial tallies from 299 constituencies showed the BNP and its allies winning at least 158 seats, comfortably crossing the 150-seat threshold required for an absolute majority in the Jatiya Sangsad . Some media reports placed the party’s tally as high as 209 seats, suggesting a potential two-thirds majority . Voting in one constituency was postponed following the death of a candidate .
The Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance emerged as the principal opposition, securing 41 to 43 seats, according to early counts . The youth-led National Citizen Party, which contested as part of the Jamaat alliance, won five seats .
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, secured decisive victories in both Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies. In Bogura-6, he defeated his Jamaat rival by a margin of over 118,000 votes, polling 216,284 ballots against 97,626 for his opponent .
Addressing supporters after results began flowing in, Rahman said his first priority would be public order so that “people can feel safe.” He pledged attention to women, who make up half the population, and stated he would run the country with those who joined his movement. The BNP chief urged supporters to attend Friday prayers and avoid celebratory rallies or processions
