BNP chairman Tarique Rahman greets his supporters as leaves his residence in Dhaka. Photo: AFP
DHAKA:
Bangladesh’s largest party conceded defeat Saturday, clearing the way for nationalist leader Tarique Rahman to become prime minister after a landslide election victory.
Election Commission figures showed Rahman’s Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had won 212 seats in Thursday’s polls, the first since a deadly 2024 uprising toppled the long rule of Sheikh Hasina.
The BNP alliance secured 212 seats compared with 77 for an alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, according to official results.
Rahman, 60, returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile in Britain, marking a dramatic political comeback. He is expected to deliver a victory speech later Saturday.
He is the son of former president Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981, and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, a dominant political figure for decades.
Interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who has headed the country since the uprising, said Rahman “would help guide the country toward stability, inclusiveness, and development.”
Shafiqur Rahman, chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, had said Friday he would seek redress from the Election Commission over alleged “inconsistencies and fabrications” in the count.
But he conceded defeat a day later.
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“In any genuine democratic journey, the true test of leadership is not only how we campaign, but how we respond to the verdict of the people,” he said in a statement.
“We recognise the overall outcome, and we respect the rule of law.”
Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting. Hasina, 78, who has been sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, issued a statement from India denouncing an “illegal and unconstitutional election.”
The U.S. Embassy congratulated Rahman and the BNP on what it called a “historic victory,” while India praised his “decisive win,” signalling a shift after previously strained ties.
China and Pakistan also congratulated the BNP, both having deepened relations with Bangladesh after the 2024 uprising.
International observers described the vote as credible. The European Union said the election had been “credible,” while the International Republican Institute said that although “election administration was technically sound, the broader political environment remains fragile.”
Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker told AFP the vote was a success.
“It was by far the best election,” he said, noting voting was cancelled at only one of more than 42,000 polling centres.
“People had doubts about whether a successful election could be held under these circumstances, but we have done it,” he said. “If anyone still has any issues, they can go to court.”
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Turnout was 59% across 299 constituencies out of 300 where voting took place, the commission said.
Only seven women were directly elected, though 50 additional parliamentary seats reserved for women will be filled from party lists.
Shafiqur Rahman highlighted his party’s gains after years of suppression under Hasina.
“With 77 seats, we have nearly quadrupled our parliamentary presence and become one of the strongest opposition blocs in modern Bangladeshi politics,” he said. “That is not a setback. That is a foundation.”
Voters also approved a referendum backing sweeping democratic reforms proposed by Yunus to overhaul what he called a “completely broken” system and prevent a return to one-party rule.
The proposals include term limits for the prime minister, creation of an upper house of parliament, stronger presidential powers, and enhanced judicial independence.
