BNP-led coalition on course to win first Bangladesh election after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Tarique Rahman on Friday claimed victory in Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election, with it projected to have won 209 of the 299 constituencies so far, Reuters quoted local TV news as reporting

সংখ্যাগরিষ্ঠ আসনে জয়ী হয়ে সরকার গঠন করতে যাচ্ছে বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল-বিএনপি।#BNP #BNPMediaCell#KhaledaZia #Zia #TariqueRahman pic.twitter.com/AWf18bswQI— BNP Media Cell (@BNPBdMediaCell) February 12, 2026

The Islamist party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is set to emerge as the main Opposition as it is projected to win 68 seats.

The Election Commission had not announced final official results as counting continued on Friday.

This was the first national election since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government was ousted following widespread protests in 2024.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday thanked its supporters for their role in the election but declined to hold victory rallies or processions, Reuters reported. Instead, the party called for special Friday prayers for the welfare of Bangladesh.

Besides the parliamentary election, the country also held a referendum on the National Charter 2024, which is a document drafted by the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus, setting a framework for future governance.

Yunus, a Nobel laureate economist, took over as chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government three days after Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024. Hasina fled after several weeks of widespread student-led protests against her Awami League government. She had been...

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