Bangladesh Nationalist Occasion (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman speaks throughout an election marketing campaign rally, forward of the nationwide election at Pallabi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 8, 2026.
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MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN
“The Bangladesh Nationalist Occasion-BNP is ready to kind the federal government after victory within the majority of seats,” BNP’s media cell posted on x.
The Election Fee (EC) is but to make a proper announcement.
Based on a number of media reviews, EC is anticipated to declare BNP the winner within the basic elections with tallies in predawn hours on Friday, suggesting it bought majority seats in parliament.
Totally different media tallies advised BNP obtained greater than 151 seats within the 300-seat parliament on Thursday’s daylong voting, honest sufficient to kind the following authorities, ending the 18-month rule of Muhammad Yunus-led interim authorities.
Based on an EC spokesperson, the leads to a number of seats are nonetheless being processed and are prone to be introduced in a couple of hours.
Congratulations pour in
The congratulatory messages have already began pouring in for the BNP, whereas the EC is but to announce the official outcomes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Tarique Rahman on his “decisive victory” in Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections and mentioned he seemed ahead to working with him to advance frequent improvement targets.
“I convey my heat congratulations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on main BNP to a decisive victory within the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh,” Modi mentioned in a put up on X.
Modi mentioned Rahman’s victory confirmed the belief of the folks of Bangladesh in his management.
The US Embassy in Dhaka has congratulated the folks of Bangladesh upfront on what it described as a profitable nationwide election, extending particular recognition to BNP and Rahman for his or her “historic victory.”
“Congratulations to the folks of Bangladesh on a profitable election and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Occasion and Tarique Rahman in your historic victory. The US seems to be ahead to working with you to grasp shared targets of prosperity and safety for each our international locations,” the put up learn.
The election was seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, within the absence of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina’s now debarred Awami League.
The voting for the thirteenth parliamentary elections was held together with a referendum on the implementation of a fancy 84-point reform package deal, generally known as the July Nationwide Constitution.
BNP was in energy final time between 2001 and 2006 when Jamaat was its essential accomplice, with two of its leaders serving as ministers.
Opposition alleges foul play
Jamaat has raised allegations of “irregular delays” and “end result tampering,” warning that it will launch a troublesome motion if the general public mandate have been “snatched away”.
Chatting with reporters on the Election Fee constructing early morning, Jamaat’s assistant secretary basic Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair alleged that returning officers have been deliberately delaying outcomes to favour a “explicit celebration.” “Within the seats contested by our high leaders, outcomes ought to have been declared by 8 pm or 9 pm in line with the signed sheets given to polling brokers,” Zubair mentioned.
Jamaat’s main ally in an 11-party right-wing alliance, the Nationwide Citizen Occasion (NCP), floated with interim authorities chief Muhammad Yunus final yr, additionally introduced allegations of “end result tampering and deliberate fraud” in a number of Dhaka seats particularly.
“Psychological strain and administrative manipulation have been getting used to overturn outcomes, significantly in constituencies contested by high leaders of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance,” NCP spokesman and celebration’s election committee chairman Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan mentioned in a predawn briefing.
Bhuiiyan, who till lately served as an adviser or minister in Yunus’ interim cupboard, significantly alleged discrepancies in a Dhaka constituency, claiming that though NCP candidate Nahid Islam was main by almost 6,000 votes, the returning officer confirmed a margin of only one,500 votes within the seat.
Tarique Rahman as PM designate
The BNP had earlier introduced that if it wins the election, then its chairman and former premier Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, could be the following prime minister of Bangladesh.
If the celebration wins, Rahman can be Bangladesh’s first male prime minister in 35 years.
“We’re assured of forming the federal government by successful greater than two-thirds of seats,” BNP’s central election steering committee spokesman Mahdi Amin advised a media briefing within the early hours of Friday.
Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in December final yr after over 17 years in self-exile, requested celebration leaders and activists to supply particular prayers throughout the nation after mid-day ‘Juma’ prayers as an alternative of holding victory rallies.
The EC was but to announce the voter turnout determine. It dismissed allegations of manipulation concerning voters’ appearances in polling centres.
“There have been debates over turnout percentages in previous elections as nicely. Please do not query it now,” Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasur Uddin advised a reporter on Thursday night.
He mentioned variations have been pure as outcomes from a number of thousand polling centres arrived at totally different instances.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Thursday mentioned 47.91 per cent of voters had solid ballots by 2 p.m. on polling day at 36,031 of the 42,651 polling centres.
Greater than 2,000 candidates, together with plenty of independents, have been within the fray for 299 of the 300 parliamentary constituencies that went to the polls.
Polling for one seat was postponed because of the loss of life of a candidate.
The Election Fee made elaborate safety preparations for the elections, deploying almost 1 million safety personnel — the largest-ever within the nation’s electoral historical past.
Printed on February 13, 2026
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