The Bangladesh Nationalist Party says it has done enough to take power in the country’s first general election since the 2024 uprising, a vote seen as a turning point after years of street protests, boycotts and bitter political feuds.
In a statement posted Friday on X, the BNP’s media wing said the party had secured enough seats to form a government on its own.
The Election Commission has yet to release a final breakdown, but several local outlets reported the BNP had crossed the 151-seat threshold required for a majority in the 350-member Parliament.
Fifty of those seats are reserved for women and are distributed proportionally among winning parties.
Turnout reached 59.44%, according to the commission. More than 127 million people were eligible to vote, nearly half of them women, including about 5 million first-time voters.
Rahman’s return
The victory, if confirmed, caps a dramatic return for 60-year-old Tarique Rahman, the party’s prime ministerial candidate. He came back to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self-exile in London. His return followed the collapse of the previous government and the dropping of corruption and criminal cases he has long said were politically driven.
Rahman is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died in December, and former President Ziaur Rahman. For decades, the BNP has been one pillar of a dynastic system that defined national politics.
Senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi congratulated voters, calling it a mandate for change. Rahman’s press secretary, Saleh Shibly, said the party chief urged supporters to offer prayers rather than stage victory rallies, signaling restraint in a tense political climate.
Rivals cry foul as alliance gains ground
The main challenge came from an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami. Though short of a majority, the bloc made a strong showing, winning at least 77 seats, according to local television channels.
Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman secured a seat in Dhaka and is poised to become the opposition leader. Party officials, however, questioned delays in announcing results in several constituencies. Assistant Secretary-General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair described the hold-ups as unusual and claimed alliance candidates were narrowly and suspiciously losing in multiple areas.
The National Citizen Party, formed by student leaders of the 2024 uprising and later aligned with the Jamaat-led coalition, also won several seats, including one for party chief Nahid Islam.
International reaction
Foreign capitals moved quickly. The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka called the result a historic victory and said Washington looked forward to working with the new government. China’s embassy said it hoped to write a new chapter in bilateral ties.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the outcome reflected public confidence in Rahman’s leadership, while Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari pledged continued democratic partnership.
Bangladesh’s relations with India and Pakistan have long been delicate.
India backed Bangladesh’s independence in the 1971 war against Pakistan and maintained close ties with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who went into exile after the 2024 protests. Pakistan, largely sidelined during her tenure, regained some diplomatic space under the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
A test of the 2024 revolution
Thursday’s vote unfolded under heavy security, with concerns about political violence and democratic backsliding. It was the first national election since the student-led revolt that forced Hasina from power, and many saw it as a test of whether public anger could translate into institutional reform.
Voters also cast ballots in a referendum on constitutional changes, including limits on prime ministerial terms and stronger checks on executive authority. Results of that referendum are still pending but are widely expected to pass.
For much of the past 15 years, the BNP had boycotted elections and accused the former government of vote rigging and repression. Now, back at the front of the field, the party faces a different challenge.
Michael Kugelman of the Atlantic Council said the outcome may disappoint those who saw the 2024 uprising as a break from dynastic politics, but added that the BNP will face intense scrutiny to govern differently.