STORY: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has scored a sweeping victory in the country's general election, setting the stage for a major political reset.
Thursday's (February 12) vote marked the country's first truly competitive election in many years, and comes after 2024's Gen Z uprising toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
On Friday (January 13), local TV counts showed the BNP and its allies winning at least 212 of 299 seats, returning to power after two decades.
:: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
By midday the Election Commission put the BNP on 181 seats, the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami at 61 and others at 7....
with the full result expected within hours, but the gazette notification is expected to take a few more days, which could delay the swearing-in of the new government.
BNP leader Tarique Rahman, the 60-year-old son of a former president, is now poised to become Bangladesh's next leader.
His party campaigned on financial aid for poor families, anti-corruption reforms, and a 10-year limit for future prime ministers.
On the street in Dhaka, supporters hailed his win:
"Tarique Zia is an honest man. If he weren't, would people vote for him? Tarique is a great leader. And Jamaat people are against the independence of this country. Those who opposed this country's inception don't deserve to win."
Despite the landslide, BNP urged supporters not to hold celebrations, instead calling for nationwide prayers.
Turnout was high, with local media estimating around 60% of voters cast ballots... well above the 42% seen in 2024.
Bangladeshis lauded how trouble-free this year's polls were compared to previous years:
"The election was very peaceful this time in comparison to the previous ones. There was no violence whatsoever. I felt festive going to the polling station."
More than 2,000 candidates were on the ballot, which featured a record number of at least 50 parties.
Many saw the polls as the country's most competitive for a long time, even with Hasina's Awami League barred from running.
A referendum on constitutional reforms was also held, and early counts point to broad support for changes like a neutral interim government during election periods.
Early tallies show more than 2 million "Yes" votes, but officials have yet to release a formal result.
:: Dhaka, Bangladesh / January 11, 2024
From exile in India, Hasina dismissed the entire process as a "farce" and called for the results to be scrapped.
