Dhaka, February 13 The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is poised to win a landslide victory in the landmark parliamentary elections, securing more than two-thirds of the seats, and is set to return to power after two decades.
These elections, held after a period of political instability and security concerns following protests that ousted Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, have taken on significant importance.
It is becoming increasingly clear that BNP leader Tarique Rahman is set to become prime minister, replacing the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
According to reports, the BNP has won over 200 of the 300 seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami, a hardline party, is expected to win around 75. The Awami League party, led by Hasina, has been barred from contesting.
The Election Commission (EC) has yet to make a formal announcement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Tarique Rahman on BNP's victory.
"I am delighted to speak with Mr. Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections," Modi said on social media.
"I expressed my best wishes and support for his efforts to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. As two close neighbours with deep historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India's continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples," he added.
In a previous social media post, Modi said India will continue to support a democratic and progressive Bangladesh.
"I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals," he said.
The BNP thanked Modi for recognizing the election results and expressed hope for strengthened relations between the two countries under the new government.
"We thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for congratulating our leader, Tarique Rahman. It is great that a democratic country recognizes the verdict of the people, and Mr. Narendra Modi has done so. We thank him," senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan said.
India-Bangladesh relations have strained since the Hasina-led government fell.
The US Embassy in Dhaka has congratulated the people of Bangladesh on what it described as a successful national election, extending special recognition to BNP and Rahman for their "historic victory."
"Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on a successful election and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Tarique Rahman on your historic victory. The United States looks forward to working with you to realize shared goals of prosperity and security for both our countries," its social media post read.
The election was seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami.
BNP was in power between 2001 and 2006 when Jamaat was its crucial partner, with two of its leaders serving as ministers.
Voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held on Thursday along with a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform package, known as the July National Charter.
Meanwhile, Jamaat has raised allegations of "abnormal delays" and "result tampering," warning that it would launch a tough movement if the public mandate were "snatched away."
Speaking to reporters at the Election Commission building early morning, Jamaat’s assistant secretary general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair alleged that returning officers were intentionally delaying results to favour a "particular party."
"In the seats contested by our top leaders, results should have been declared by 8 pm or 9 pm according to the signed sheets given to polling agents," Zubair said.
Jamaat’s major ally in an 11-party right-wing alliance, the National Citizen Party (NCP), floated with interim government chief Yunus last year, also brought allegations of “result tampering and planned fraud” in multiple Dhaka seats in particular.
The Election Commission announced on Friday that the voter turnout for the polls was 59.44 per cent. It also dismissed allegations of manipulation regarding voters' appearances in polling centres.
Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Friday said the spontaneous and massive participation of people in the election proved that 'we are ultimately victorious as a nation.'
"We had only one commitment to the nation: to conduct a neutral election. We have tried our best to ensure that. We are deeply grateful to the people of the country as they participated spontaneously in this massive arrangement. This has proved that we are ultimately victorious as a nation."
More than 2,000 candidates, including a number of independents, were in the fray for 299 of the 300 parliamentary constituencies that went to the polls.
Voting for one seat was postponed due to the death of a candidate.
The Election Commission made elaborate security arrangements for the elections, deploying nearly 1 million security personnel -- the largest-ever in the country's electoral history.
