BNP wins majority in first free and fair Bangladesh election for two decades
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has decisively won parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, in what was considered the first free and fair national vote in nearly two decades.
The BNP won at least 212 of the 299 seats, the election commission said on Friday.
A coalition of opposition parties led by Jamaat-e-Islami won 77 seats.
The victory of the BNP means its leader Tarique Rahman is poised to follow in the footsteps of both his parents and lead Bangladesh.
Rahman is the son of Khaleda Zia, the former prime minister, and Ziaur Rahman, the assassinated former president.
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"Despite winning... by a large margin of votes, no celebratory procession or rally shall be organised," the BNP said on Friday, asking voters to offer prayers instead.
Bangladesh has been in a period of turbulence since Sheikh Hasina, the former longtime prime minister, was removed following a student-led uprising in August 2024. She is currently in exile in India.
Since then, the country has been governed by an interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace laureate.
Hasina's second stint in office from 2009 until her ouster in 2024 was marred by arrests of political opponents, the silencing of dissenting voices and accusations of human rights abuses.
In November, a court sentenced her to death in absentia over crimes against humanity when ordering a deadly crackdown on student-led protesters. Hasina's Awami League was banned from the election.
Jamaat, which formed an alliance that included youth activists in the National Citizen Party, had been expected to do well but ultimately fell short.
It conceded defeat, though said on Friday that it was "not satisfied" with the process of vote counting in some constituencies.
Despite its defeat, it still marks Jamaat's highest ever tally of seats in parliament, 70, and the first time it has contested elections since being banned by Hasina in 2013.
India and Pakistan congratulate BNP
Rahman is set to become the first male non-interim prime minister of Bangladesh in over 35 years.
He returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years of exile spent in London.
His party has campaigned on job creation, protection for low-income households and securing fair prices for farmers.
For some voters, Rahman was seen as a continuation of the dynastic politics which has dominated Bangladesh since it became an independent country in 1971.
India, Pakistan and the US congratulated the BNP on its victory.
Ties between India and Bangladesh, traditionally close allies, have soured in recent months, particularly over New Delhi's refusal to extradite Hasina.
Turnout for the election was reported as just under 60 percent.
Alongside parliamentary elections, a referendum on constitutional reforms championed by interim leader Yunus was also held.
The reforms included introducing two-term limits for prime ministers, stronger judicial independence and female representation, providing neutral interim governments during election periods as well as setting up a new second chamber.
There was no official outcome on the referendum by Friday afternoon, though media reported that early indications suggest it would pass comfortably by over 65 percent.
The reforms were designed to prevent autocratic leaders and governments seizing power in future.
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