Bangladesh’s historic general elections have delivered a decisive victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies, according to unofficial and non-final results. The BNP-led alliance secured 212 out of 299 contested seats, achieving a two-thirds majority in the national parliament.
The alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami won 77 seats, while the youth-backed National Citizen Party, part of the same bloc, secured five seats. The Election Commission withheld results in three constituencies following allegations of irregularities and mismanagement, with final decisions pending.
Following the projected victory, BNP leader Tariq Rahman announced plans to form a government in collaboration with allied parties. He stated that the same partners who supported the political movement would now work together to govern the country. Rahman urged party workers to avoid celebratory rallies and emphasized maintaining law and order as the top priority.
Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh conceded defeat in the general elections. Addressing supporters, party chief Shafiqur Rahman said the party would not engage in opposition for the sake of opposition but would instead pursue constructive and public-interest-driven politics. He added that a final and positive stance would be announced after the official results are declared.
Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party, also expressed his intention to move forward in cooperation with Jamaat-e-Islami.
Alongside the general elections, a national referendum was held in which 72.9 percent of voters supported the proposed reforms, while 27.1 percent voted against them. Voters were asked to respond with a yes or no to a question covering four major constitutional amendments and nearly 30 reforms. Proposed changes include the establishment of new constitutional bodies, the introduction of a bicameral parliament, and a requirement that constitutional amendments cannot be passed without approval from the upper house.
Voting began at 6:30 am Pakistan time and continued until 3:30 pm. More than 127.6 million voters cast their ballots across 299 of the 300 constituencies, as polling in one constituency was postponed due to the death of a candidate.
Bangladeshi media reported a few isolated incidents; however, the overall electoral process remained largely peaceful. Three election officials were removed from duty over alleged irregularities, while a petrol attack in Gopalganj left three people injured. According to data released by the Election Commission, voter turnout stood at 47.9 percent by 2:00 pm, with the final turnout expected to be significantly higher.
