The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has secured a majority victory in Bangladesh’s first election since a Gen Z-driven uprising in 2024, winning a two-thirds majority and paving the way for a new government.
BNP Victory and Return of Tarique Rahman
The BNP’s win positions the party to bring stability to the country following the ousting of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Tarique Rahman, the BNP’s prime ministerial candidate, returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self-exile in London.
Rahman, 60, is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who died in December.
The vote, held on Thursday, was largely contested between the BNP and an 11-party alliance led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami. It took place amid tight security and concerns regarding democratic backsliding and political violence.
A clear outcome was considered crucial for restoring political stability in the Muslim-majority country of 175 million people.
This was a decisive victory for the BNP.
It marks a turnaround for Tarique Rahman after 17 years in exile and for his supporters.
Rahman has promised the BNP is the party of change, but faces challenges including economic revival and constitutional reforms.
The bloody student-led revolt of July 2024, which the UN estimates resulted in 1,400 deaths, led to Hasina’s downfall and exile in India.
Hasina’s Awami League party has been banned from all political activities, with an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus in place since her ousting.
Alongside the election, a referendum was held on changes to the constitution, including the introduction of a two-term limit for the prime minister and increasing women’s representation.
Bangladesh’s parliament has 350 seats, with 300 directly elected and 50 reserved for women.
The BNP was founded by Rahman’s father, Ziaur Rahman, in 1978 and has been in opposition to the Awami League for much of the past two decades.
Rahman’s self-imposed exile to the UK followed corruption and criminal cases pursued by Hasina’s government – charges he denied. These cases were dropped after Hasina’s government collapsed, allowing his return.
The BNP’s victory prompted messages of support from regional leaders. India’s prime minister Narendra Modi said India will continue to support a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh.
Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari congratulated the BNP on a “landslide victory” and the people of Bangladesh on their “successful, peaceful polls,” reaffirming strong support for a democratic partnership and shared progress.
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