Dhaka, February 13: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) appeared to be heading for a decisive victory in Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections as vote counting continued on Friday.
According to multiple media tallies, the BNP had crossed the halfway mark in the 300-seat Jatiya Sangsad, winning more than 151 seats. The Election Commission is yet to formally declare the results, with officials saying final figures from several constituencies are still being processed.
The election marked the first general polls since the collapse of the Awami League government in August 2024. The country has since been governed by an interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus for the past 18 months.
The contest was largely seen as a direct fight between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, with the Awami League no longer in the fray.
The voting was held alongside a referendum on an 84-point reform package known as the July National Charter. More than 2,000 candidates contested 299 constituencies, while polling in one seat was postponed following the death of a candidate.
BNP leaders expressed confidence about forming the next government. The party had earlier indicated that if it secured a majority, Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, would take over as prime minister.
Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in December after over 17 years in self-exile, urged party workers to offer special prayers instead of holding victory rallies.
The Election Commission has not yet announced the final voter turnout. Earlier in the day, officials said nearly 48 percent of voters had cast ballots by mid-afternoon at most polling centres. Authorities deployed close to one million security personnel, marking the largest-ever security arrangement for an election in the country.
