Dhaka | Web Desk — Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections have delivered a strong showing for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), with preliminary and unofficial results indicating the party is leading in 151 seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami has emerged as the second-largest force with around 61–62 seats, according to local media reports.
The election, held for 299 parliamentary seats, marks a significant political milestone following months of political upheaval and the collapse of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s long rule after a student-led protest movement. An interim government had pledged to hold free and fair elections, and voting across the country was largely reported as peaceful and transparent, with no major allegations of rigging so far.
Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League did not participate in the election due to a government-imposed ban, reshaping the political landscape and intensifying competition between opposition parties.
Unverified early results show BNP, founded by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, leading the race. The party is currently led by her son Tarique Rahman following Khaleda Zia’s recent passing. Jamaat-e-Islami is trailing behind as the second-largest party, though seat figures vary across media outlets.
Times of Bangladesh reported that BNP and its allies could secure up to 212 seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami may win around 70 seats, with independent candidates taking six seats. However, the Dhaka Tribune cited a lower figure of 43 seats for Jamaat, highlighting discrepancies in early reporting.
Supporters and party workers gathered outside BNP’s central office in Dhaka, celebrating preliminary victories as unofficial results were announced. Several prominent BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, were reported to have won their seats. Other party figures such as Lutfozzaman Babar, Mirza Abbas, Fazlur Rahman, and female leaders Reza Kabria and Bobby Hajjaj also secured victories.
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman reportedly won his seat with more than 81,000 votes, while National Citizen Party leader Nahid Iqbal was also declared victorious in Dhaka.
In Bangladesh’s parliamentary system, a party or coalition must secure at least 151 of the 300 directly elected seats to form a government. One seat has been postponed due to election-related reasons.
Final official results are expected after the completion of vote counting and verification by the Election Commission.
