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Bangladesh votes: BNP coalition claims overwhelming mandate

13 February 2026 13:05

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a sweeping victory in the country’s parliamentary election, according to results broadcast by local television stations on February 13, gaining a decisive mandate in a vote widely viewed as critical to restoring political stability in the South Asian nation.

The election, held on February 12, was Bangladesh’s first since the 2024 uprising led largely by Generation Z protesters that forced long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power.

A clear result was considered essential for stabilising the Muslim-majority country of 175 million people after months of violent anti-Hasina unrest disrupted daily life and affected key industries, including the apparel sector in the world’s second-largest garment exporter.

The vote also marked the first national election following a wave of youth-led revolts across the broader region; neighbouring Nepal is scheduled to hold elections next month.

Pre-election opinion polls had indicated an advantage for the BNP, and the outcome aligned with those projections. The BNP-led coalition won 209 seats in the 300-member Jatiya Sangsad (House of the Nation), securing an overwhelming two-thirds majority.

Following the result, the party congratulated voters and called for special prayers for the country’s welfare. In a statement, it instructed supporters not to organise celebratory rallies or processions despite the scale of the victory, instead urging prayers at mosques, temples, churches and pagodas nationwide.

The BNP is headed by leading prime ministerial contender Tarique Rahman, 60, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman. The party’s campaign platform included financial assistance for low-income families, a 10-year cap on serving as prime minister, economic stimulus measures, including attracting foreign investment, and strengthened anti-corruption policies.

Shafiqur Rahman, leader of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party — the BNP’s main rival — conceded defeat after his Jamaat-led alliance secured 68 seats. He said his party would avoid engaging in opposition “for the sake of it” and pledged to pursue what he described as “positive politics.”

The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by youth activists who played a central role in the movement that ousted Hasina and which contested the election as part of the Jamaat-led alliance, won five of the 30 seats it contested.

Despite the decisive outcome, the election was widely described as Bangladesh’s first genuinely competitive vote in years. Hasina’s Awami League, which governed for more than 15 years before her removal, was barred from participating.

Voter turnout appeared to surpass the 42% recorded in the 2024 election. Local media reported that more than 60% of registered voters were expected to have cast ballots. More than 2,000 candidates, including numerous independents, contested the election, with at least 50 political parties participating — a national record. Voting in one constituency was postponed following the death of a candidate.

Alongside the parliamentary vote, a referendum was held on proposed constitutional reforms. The measures included creating a neutral interim government during election periods, restructuring parliament into a bicameral system, expanding women’s representation, strengthening judicial independence and imposing a two-term limit on the prime minister. No official results of the referendum were immediately released, though the Daily Star reported that 73% of approximately 296,000 ballots cast supported the reforms, with the remainder voting against.

Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India, a long-standing ally, a situation that has strained relations between Dhaka and New Delhi and created opportunities for China to expand its influence in Bangladesh.

In a statement issued after polling stations closed, Hasina denounced the election as a “carefully planned farce,” arguing that it was conducted without her party’s participation and lacked genuine voter engagement. She said Awami League supporters had rejected the process and demanded that the election be annulled, the suspension of her party’s activities be lifted, and a new vote be organized under a neutral caretaker government to ensure it is free, fair and inclusive.

Critics of Hasina, however, contend that elections held during her tenure were often marked by boycotts and allegations of intimidation.

By Tamilla Hasanova

Caliber.Az
Views: 78

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