Tarique Rahman-led BNP claims majority in Bangladesh parliamentary elections

Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who returned to Bangladesh after nearly two decades in exile, announced that his party secured a majority in the parliamentary elections. Official results have not yet been published by the Election Commission.

The BNP stated it won the majority of seats in the 299-member parliament. Jamuna TV, citing preliminary results, reported that the BNP and its allies gained 211 seats, while the rival coalition led by Jamaat-e-Islami obtained 70 seats. The Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition expressed dissatisfaction with the vote counting process and raised serious questions about the integrity of the results announcement.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Rahman on the claimed victory, describing it as decisive.

Tarique Rahman, 60, is the son of General Ziaur Rahman, the former military ruler and BNP founder assassinated in 1981. His mother, Khaleda Zia, served as prime minister and led the party for years. Rahman returned from 18 years in Britain around Christmas, holding rallies with large crowds of supporters, signaling the BNP's resurgence after years of political pressure under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Referendums on political reforms were held concurrently, including term limits for the prime minister and enhanced oversight of the executive branch. Official results for these referendums are also pending.