The Bangladesh National Party secured a decisive two-thirds majority in Friday’s general elections, marking its return to power after 20 years. Early counts indicate the BNP and its allies won at least 212 of the 299 parliamentary seats, while the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies claimed 70 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad.
The victory comes after months of political unrest following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a youth-led uprising in 2024. BNP leader Tarique Rahman is expected to be sworn in as prime minister. Rahman, son of the party’s founder Ziaur Rahman, returned to Dhaka in December 2025 after 18 years abroad.
The party called for nationwide prayers instead of celebratory rallies, citing the need for national unity. Meanwhile, Shafiqur Rahman, head of Jamaat-e-Islami, pledged that his party would pursue “positive politics” despite the loss. The National Citizen Party, a youth-led group that participated in the anti-Hasina movement, won only five of the 30 seats it contested.
Voter turnout appeared significantly higher than the 42% recorded in the 2024 election, with more than 60% of registered voters expected to have participated. A simultaneous constitutional referendum saw over 2 million votes in favor of reforms, including two-term limits for prime ministers, stronger judicial independence, increased women’s representation, provisions for neutral interim governments during elections, and the establishment of a second house in the 300-seat parliament.
The election is widely seen as a key step toward political stability in Bangladesh, ending months of disruption that affected everyday life and industries such as the country’s garment exports.
