Dhaka, February 13 The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) appeared to be solidifying its lead over its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, as the counting of votes for the crucial general elections, aimed at replacing the interim administration, progressed late on Thursday night. This administration took over after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024.
The election is seen as a direct contest between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of the ousted premier, Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League.
Unofficial results after midnight suggested that the BNP was leading in most constituencies.
According to unofficial results tallied so far by the Ittefaq newspaper, the BNP has won 158 seats, Jamaat 41, and others 5 seats. Counting had been completed for 204 out of the 299 constituencies where polling was held.
The report indicated that the BNP had won the election.
In unofficial results, Election Commission officials said BNP chairman and former premier Khaleda Zia's son, Tarique Rahman, won the seat in his home district of Bogura. Rahman received 216,284 votes, according to the returning officer of the constituency.
Rahman's nearest rival and Jamaat nominee, Abidur Rahman, received 97,626 votes.
The BNP had earlier announced that if it were voted into power, Rahman would be the next prime minister of Bangladesh, ending the past 18-month rule of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
Shafiqur Rahman, president of Jamaat-e-Islami, was unofficially declared the winner in a Dhaka constituency. He received 82,645 votes, against his BNP rival's 61,920.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir won from his constituency in northwestern Thakurgaon with 234,144 votes. His rival, Jamaat candidate Delwar Hossain, received 137,281 votes.
Mia Golam Porwar, the secretary general of Jamaat, lost the race to his BNP rival, Ali Asghar Lobby. While Porwar polled 144,956 votes, Lobby received 147,658 votes in a southwestern constituency of Khulna.
The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform package, known as the July National Charter.
The counting of votes began soon after voting concluded at 4:30 pm (local time).
Earlier, BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson, Mahdi Amin, said his party's victory was "inevitable and clear".
Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan, hopes to form the first Islamist-led government in constitutionally secular Bangladesh, under its 67-year-old chief, Shafiqur Rahman.
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.