Tarique Rahman's BNP Declares Victory, Jamaat-e-Islami Raises Objections: Top Points

Last Updated:February 13, 2026, 10:59 IST

BNP has claimed a landslide win in Bangladesh's 2026 parliamentary elections, with Tarique Rahman poised as Prime Minister and sweeping reforms backed, ending the Awami League era.

The Bangladesh ist Party (BNP) has declared victory in the country’s landmark parliamentary elections, after unofficial results from multiple media tallies on Friday placed the party comfortably ahead of its rivals.

Meanwhile, BNP’S main rival, Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist party leading a wider coalition, said it had “serious questions about the integrity of the results process".

The vote, seen as a defining moment after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024, is expected to usher in a new political chapter in the country.

Counting began soon after polling concluded at 4.30 pm local time on Thursday, and early tallies indicated that the BNP had crossed the halfway mark in the 300-member parliament.

Reuters projected that the BNP-led coalition secured 209 seats, clinching a two-thirds majority in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation.

AFP reported that television channels showed the party pushing well past the 150-seat threshold required for a simple majority.

The election was the first national vote since the 2024 Gen Z-driven uprising that toppled long-time premier Sheikh Hasina.

Held in the absence of Hasina’s now-disbanded Awami League, the contest was largely viewed as a direct fight between the BNP and its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami.

Official confirmation from the Election Commission (EC) was awaited as counting continued in several constituencies.

10 KEY POINTS FROM THE BANGLADESH ELECTION RESULTS

1. BNP CLAIMS DECISIVE MANDATE 

The BNP appeared headed for a decisive victory, with multiple media tallies showing the party had won more than 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament. Soon after, the party claimed victory in the country’s election. Reuters projected a landslide, with the BNP-led coalition winning 209 seats.

2. TARIQUE RAHMAN WINS BOGURA-6 SEAT 

With the party heading towards a win, its chief, Tarique Rahman, was unofficially declared elected from the Bogura-6 (Sadar) constituency after securing a decisive victory. According to district officials cited by ANI, counting had been completed in 150 of the 151 polling centres in the constituency.

3. RAHMAN POISED TO BECOME BANGLADESH PRIME MINISTER 

The BNP had earlier announced that if voted to power, Rahman would assume office as prime minister. His return to Bangladesh in December after more than 17 years in self-exile marked a significant political comeback.

4. JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI OBJECTS TO RESULT

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman conceded defeat, stating that his party would not engage in obstructive “politics of opposition." He said, “We will do positive politics." However, Rahman also mounted a disciplined grassroots campaign on a platform of justice and ending corruption. His party said it was “not satisfied with the process surrounding the election results", claiming it had logged “repeated inconsistencies and fabrications in unofficial result announcements".

5. REFERENDUM ON SWEEPING REFORMS ALONGSIDE POLLS

Voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was conducted along with a referendum on the 84-point reform package known as the July Charter. Proposals included prime ministerial term limits, a bicameral legislature, stronger judicial independence and enhanced checks on executive power. Television projections suggested significant backing for the reforms, though official results were awaited.

6. INTERIM GOVERNMENT TO STEP DOWN

The election is set to replace the 18-month interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, which assumed office after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024. As the elections were underway, Yunus urged all sides to remain calm and united in the national interest.

7. MASSIVE SECURITY DEPLOYMENT

Nearly one million security personnel were deployed, the largest-ever security arrangement in the country’s electoral history, to oversee polling at over 42,000 centres nationwide.

8. VOTER TURNOUT AND PARTICIPATION

Bangladesh Election Commission’s Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said 47.91 per cent voter turnout had been recorded by 2 pm at 36,031 of 42,651 polling centres. Reuters cited local media estimates suggesting turnout could exceed 60 per cent, higher than the 42 per cent recorded in the previous election.

9. OVER 2,000 CANDIDATES WERE IN FRAY

More than 2,000 candidates, including independents, contested 299 of the 300 constituencies. Polling in one constituency was postponed due to the death of a candidate.

10. BNP CALLS FOR PRAYERS, NO VICTORY RALLIES 

Despite projections of a sweeping win, the BNP urged supporters not to organise celebratory processions. In a statement, the party called for special prayers across mosques, temples, churches and pagodas for the welfare of the country.

As Bangladesh awaits formal confirmation from the Election Commission, the projected landslide marks a pivotal shift in the country’s political landscape.

With the BNP set to form the next government and constitutional reforms on the table, the election outcome signals the beginning of a new phase following years of political turbulence and the end of the so-called “Battle of Begums" era.

News world Tarique Rahman's BNP Declares Victory, Jamaat-e-Islami Raises Objections: 10 Points

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