BNP leading as counting continues in first Bangladesh polls since Hasina ouster

Leading PM hopeful Tarique Rahman, 60, says he is “confident” his Bangladesh Nationalist Party — which was crushed during the 15 years of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic rule — can regain power in the South Asian nation.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is leading with a majority of seats after millions of Bangladeshis cast their ballots in Thursday’s general election, the first since the 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina, according to local media.

The Election Commission has not yet confirmed the results but the BNP was leading with 151 constituencies amid counting of ballots, according to the Dhaka Tribune.

Alliances led by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are the two main contenders, as Hasina’s Awami League was barred from the vote.

The counting of ballots in 299 constituencies began soon after polls closed.

Jamaat’s chief Shafiqur Rahman earlier said that election officials in some constituencies were “holding results, despite counts being completed, and that Jamaat won those seats.”

“Based on the vote count received so far and detailed seat-wise information, we are very hopeful about this victory,” said BNP official Mahdi Amin.

Tarique Rahman, 60, who is heading BNP and whose late parents both led the country told AFP news agency ahead of the vote that his first priority, if elected, would be restoring security and stability.

But he warned the challenges ahead were immense, and that “the economy has been destroyed”.

A clearer picture of the results is expected to take several more hours.

Voting took place between 7.30 am local time (0130GMT) and 4.30 pm (1030GMT).

More than 127.6 million people were eligible to vote in the election, which also included a referendum on constitutional reforms.