Dhaka
Reuters
—
Bangladesh’s opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a landslide victory in Friday’s parliamentary elections, returning it to power for the first time in nearly 20 years, with leader Tariq Rahman set to become prime minister as the country emerges from months of unrest and economic turmoil.
Rahman, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated former president Ziaur Rahman, faces the pressing task of restoring political stability, restoring investor confidence and rebuilding key industries, including the garment industry, after the prolonged turmoil that followed the fall of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024.
Since then, an interim government led by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has been in power.
The official results, considered the South Asian country’s first truly competitive elections in years, showed the BNP and its allies won at least 212 of the 299 seats up for grabs, the electoral commission said. The opposition Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies won 77 seats in the Jatiya Sansad (National House).
Rahman, 60, has yet to comment more than 12 hours after the trend in favor of his party became clear, but the BNP has called on the public to refrain from large-scale celebrations and instead hold special prayers on Friday.
According to local media, he did not say anything to the media gathered in front of his home in Dhaka, but instead smiled and waved from his car as he headed to the mosque.
“Despite winning by a large margin, no celebratory processions or rallies will be organized,” the party said in a statement released early Friday.
The National Civic Party (NCP), led by youth activists who played a key role in overthrowing Hasina, won just five of the 30 seats it contested. The NCP was part of the Jamaat-led alliance.
A clear outcome was seen as the key to stability in the Muslim-majority country of 175 million people after months of deadly anti-Hasina protests that disrupted daily life and industries, including clothing manufacturing. Bangladesh is the world’s second largest apparel exporter.
“A strong majority would give the BNP parliamentary power to pass reforms efficiently and avoid legislative paralysis. That alone could create short-term political stability,” said Selim Raihan, an economics professor at Dhaka University.
Employment, protection of farmers and the poor
In its manifesto, BNP pledged to prioritize job creation, protect low-income and marginal households and ensure fair prices for farmers.
“It’s important for us that the factories operate regularly and wages are received on time. I hope the BNP government restores stability and more orders come to Bangladesh so that we can survive,” Josna Begum, 28, a garment worker and mother of two, told Reuters.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen were among the first to congratulate the Rahman Party on its victory.
India, China and the United States are competing for influence in Bangladesh, and the US ambassador told Reuters earlier this week that Washington was concerned about China’s growing influence in the country.
Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have deteriorated rapidly since Hasina defected to India, negatively impacting visa services and cricket relations between the two neighbours.
“This is an opportunity for Bangladesh… You’ve got big powers all around you competing for influence. It’s also a challenge. How do you manage those relationships?” said Thomas Keene, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group.
Jamaat-e-Islami conceded defeat late Thursday night when the trend became clear, but said in a statement on Friday that it was “not satisfied” with the process and urged its supporters to remain patient.
The party won a record 70 seats in parliament for the first time since it was banned in 2013. The ban was lifted after Hasina’s ouster.
The BNP’s victory with more than 200 seats is one of its biggest, surpassing the 193 it won in 2001, but Hasina’s Awami League, which ruled for 15 years and was banned this time, secured an even bigger 230 seats in 2008.
However, elections in other years have been boycotted by one of the major parties or have been controversial.
Voter turnout this time was higher than the 42% in the previous election in 2024, with nearly 60% of registered voters participating in Thursday’s election, according to media reports.
More than 2,000 candidates took part in the vote, including many independents, and a record number of at least 50 political parties participated. Voting in one constituency was postponed due to the death of a candidate.
Broadcaster Jamuna TV reported that in a referendum on constitutional amendment held at the same time as the election, more than 2 million voters chose “yes” and more than 850,000 people said “no,” but there was no official announcement of the results.
The changes include a two-term limit for the prime minister, stronger judicial independence and women’s representation, a provision for a neutral caretaker government during elections, and the creation of a second chamber in the 300-seat parliament.
