Dhaka, Feb 13: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) appears on track for a decisive win in the 13th parliamentary elections, as vote counting continues across the country. Media reports indicate the party has secured more than 151 seats in the 300-member parliament, though the Election Commission (EC) has yet to make an official announcement.
The elections are being held to form a government that will succeed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration, which assumed power following the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024. The vote also coincides with a referendum on the implementation of the 84-point July National Charter, a major reform package.
BNP Confident of Forming Government
BNP officials have expressed confidence in winning over two-thirds of parliamentary seats. The party announced that if victorious, Tarique Rahman, son of former premier Khaleda Zia, is poised to become the next Prime Minister. Rahman, who returned from 17 years of self-exile in December last year, urged party supporters to pray after mid-day ‘Juma’ prayers instead of holding public rallies.
“We are confident of forming the government by winning more than two-thirds of seats,” said Mahdi Amin, BNP’s central election steering committee spokesman.
Election Commission Reports Ongoing Counting
The EC confirmed that results from several constituencies are still being processed. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasur Uddin emphasized that variations in voter turnout were normal due to the staggered arrival of results from thousands of polling stations. According to EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, 47.91% of voters had cast their ballots by 2 pm Thursday at 36,031 of the 42,651 polling centers.
Historic Security Measures for Polls
The elections saw unprecedented security arrangements, with nearly 1 million personnel deployed across the country the largest deployment in Bangladesh’s electoral history. Over 2,000 candidates, including independents, contested for 299 parliamentary seats. Voting for one constituency was postponed due to the death of a candidate.
The vote counting began immediately after polls closed at 4:30 pm local time, with BNP appearing poised to claim a commanding position in the next parliament.