Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami–led alliance has formally challenged the results in 32 constituencies following the country’s recent general election, filing complaints with the Election Commission over alleged irregularities.
The election, held on Thursday, delivered a decisive victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)–led alliance, which secured 212 seats, according to official results. The Jamaat-led alliance won 77 seats, emerging as the second-largest bloc in parliament.
BNP leader Tarique Rahman is expected to become the country’s next prime minister, with newly elected lawmakers scheduled to take their oath on Tuesday.
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiq Rahman had initially conceded defeat, pledging that his party would act as a principled and peaceful opposition in parliament. However, party leaders submitted complaints on Sunday, alleging that their candidates were unfairly defeated in 32 constituencies. Senior leader Hamid Rahman Azad cited alleged fraud, bribery, intimidation and violence during and after voting.
Police said at least five people were killed and more than 600 injured in political clashes during the campaign period, with additional violence reported after the announcement of results, leaving at least two more dead.
According to police spokesman AHM Shahadat Hussain, more than 150,000 personnel were deployed and trained to manage election-related security before and after polling day.
The Election Commission said voting took place in 299 of the 300 constituencies, with overall voter turnout estimated at around 59 percent. Seven women were directly elected, while 50 reserved seats for women will be allocated to parties based on vote share. Four candidates from minority communities, including two Hindus, were also elected.
