The BNP is set to form the next government in Bangladesh after emerging well ahead in the 2026 elections, even as Jamaat-e-Islami raises concerns over the vote-counting process
Bangladesh Election Results 2026 BNP Claims Big Win as Jamaat Raises Concerns (Source: X/ @pulse_pak)
Bangladesh Election 2026 Results: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led opposition coalition has declared victory in the high-stakes national election, with unofficial media countings on the day, Friday, showing the BNP is ahead of the competition. This is a significant political change following the fall of the Awami League government in 2024.
At the same time, the Jamaat-i-Islami party, the main contender of the BNP, raised questions about the reliability of the counting procedure by commenting that they had “serious questions about the integrity of the results.”
Counting commenced shortly after the conclusion of the polling procedure at 4.30 pm yesterday. Initial trends suggested that the BNP polled enough votes to be above the majority mark in the three hundred-member parliament. According to a Reuters report, the BNP Alliance would occupy more than two-thirds of the overall parliamentary constituencies. Television channels reported the trends to be above the simple majority mark.
The election is the first national ballot to be held following the uprising by Gen Z that prompted the ouster of a previous prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. The just-concluded polls were also notable because of the absence of former premier Hasina’s party, Awami League, and the main fight being between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Official word from the Election Commission is still pending.
Multiple media projections suggest the BNP has won well over the halfway mark needed to form the government, allowing it to claim a decisive public mandate.
BNP chief Tarique Rahman was unofficially declared elected from the Bogura-Six constituency, with counting nearly complete across polling centres in the area.
The BNP has reiterated that Rahman will take office as prime minister if the results are confirmed. His return from long exile late last year marked one of the biggest political comebacks in Bangladesh.
Jamaat leaders acknowledged defeat but said they were not satisfied with how results were announced, alleging inconsistencies in unofficial tallies while promising “positive politics” in opposition.
Voters also participated in a referendum on the July National Charter, which proposes sweeping constitutional reforms, including term limits for prime ministers and stronger judicial independence.
The election will end the tenure of the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, which took charge after the Awami League’s fall. Yunus urged unity and calm as votes were counted.
Nearly one million security personnel were deployed nationwide, making it the largest election-related security operation in Bangladesh’s history.
According to reports from election officials, there has been steady participation throughout the day, and early indications are that the total may exceed that of the previous general election.
In all, more than two thousand candidates, both independent and otherwise, ran in the election for the majority of the constituencies.
Although the forecasts were high, the BNP urged their supporters to skip victory rallies and prayed for the country’s stability through various religious platforms.
Even as Bangladesh awaits official news, BNP victory predictions herald a new political chapter after its years of turmoil and may signal an end to the prolonged politico-family rivalry that has dominated Bangladesh’s political scene.
