The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has secured a decisive victory in the country’s 13th parliamentary election, marking a major turning point in the nation’s political history following the July 2024 uprising that ended the long rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to local media reports, the BNP and its allied parties have won about 210 out of 299 seats in the 300-seat parliament. Voting in one constituency was postponed due to the death of a candidate.
The Islamist alliance led by the Jamaat-e-Islami won about 70 seats, making it the main opposition in the new parliament. Other smaller parties and independent candidates won about 17 seats.
The Election Commission has also decided to withhold the results of three constituencies as court cases are pending against the declared winning candidates.
BNP’s current chairperson, Tarique Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh on December 25, 2025, after 17 years in self-exile in London, is poised to become the next prime minister. He won from multiple constituencies.
The election, widely regarded as the first genuinely competitive poll in many years, was held under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, following long political unrest and transition after the uprising against the previous regime.
The overall voter turnout was about 59 percentreflecting moderate participation from both urban and rural voters.
Elections to parliament were conducted alongside a national referendum on the proposed “July National Charter,” a comprehensive set of constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening democratic institutions. Early indications suggest the charter passed with about 65 percent support, though the final official result is still awaited.
Security was tight nationwide, with nearly a million law enforcement personnel deployed to ensure smooth polling. Despite isolated incidents, voting day was described by observers as largely peaceful and orderly.
Regional reactions have already begun. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Rahman on his party’s victory. Modi also emphasized India’s continued support for a democratic, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh and expressed a desire to strengthen bilateral relations and advance shared development goals. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated Rahman and the BNP, saying he looks forward to working closely with the new Bangladesh leadership to further strengthen their historic, multifaceted bilateral relations and advance shared goals of peace, stability, and development in South Asia and beyond.
The BNP has previously governed Bangladesh at different periods. The party was founded by former President Gen. Ziaur Rahman in 1978. Zia, who was Tarique’s father, introduced a Bangladeshi nationalist political ideology and initiated market-oriented economic reforms during his presidency. After his assassination in 1981, leadership of the BNP passed to his widow, Begum Khaleda Zia, who served as prime minister two times (1991–1996 and 2001–2006). Her governments are often credited with restoring parliamentary democracy in 1991 after military rule, though they also faced criticism over governance challenges and political confrontations.
Criticism of the BNP historically has centered on allegations of corruption, weak institutional control, and the rise of extremist violence during its 2001–2006 term. Opponents have also accused the party of relying on confrontational street politics that disrupted economic activity.
During the rule of the Awami League government (2009–2024), BNP leaders and activists faced widespread legal and political pressure. Party officials have claimed that the cases were filed against hundreds of thousands of BNP leaders and supporters across the country, described as politically motivated. Senior leaders, including Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman, were convicted in corruption cases – charges the BNP consistently described as part of a broader crackdown to weaken the opposition.
With the final official declaration by EC expected in the coming days, preparations are already underway within the BNP leadership for the formal transition of power. The new administration faces urgent challenges, including stabilizing the law and order situation, keeping alive the democratization, revival of the economy, and navigating Bangladesh’s foreign policy amid shifting regional dynamics.