DHAKA (AP/Reuters/Al Jazeera) Bangladesh has concluded its 13th parliamentary election with a decisive victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), marking a major political shift after years of turmoil and the 2024 mass uprising that led to the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s long-standing government.
According to unofficial results released by the Election Commission, the BNP secured a commanding lead in the national parliament, winning a large majority of seats, well above the 151 needed to form a government.
In results reported so far, the party has taken around 209 out of 297 declared parliamentary seats, with the Islamist Jamaat‑e‑Islami Bangladesh and its allies winning dozens of seats and other smaller parties and independents making up the remainder.
BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, returning from nearly two decades in exile, is poised to become Bangladesh’s next prime minister after leading his party to this historic win.
Rahman also reportedly won multiple constituencies personally, including Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6.
This election, held on 12 February 2026, was the first since the dramatic political upheaval that ousted Hasina in 2024 following widespread protests.
The poll took place under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, with voter turnout reported at nearly 60 percent — a strong engagement compared with previous elections.
Alongside the general election, voters also approved a constitutional referendum proposing reforms aimed at strengthening democratic checks and balances, including term limits for prime ministers and enhanced judicial independence. Early tallies suggest the referendum passed with significant support.
The election outcome represents a major break from two decades of Awami League dominance, which was not able to contest due to legal and political barriers following the upheaval.
Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, now in exile in New Delhi, has rejected the election results, calling them a “disgraceful chapter” and claiming the process was flawed. International reactions have been mixed but largely focused on congratulating the BNP on its victory.
Leaders from neighboring countries, including Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, Narendra Modi of India, extended messages of goodwill, which the BNP publicly acknowledged as a positive step toward strengthening regional ties.
With the BNP’s return to power, Bangladesh faces the twin challenges of political reconciliation and economic reform after years of unrest, and the new government’s first priorities will likely include stabilizing the economy, addressing social divisions, and pursuing institutional reforms promised during the campaign.