Bangladesh Elections: BNP leads with 212 seats, surpasses halfway mark to form govt

Unofficial results in Bangladesh’s national election show the BNP alliance leading with 212 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance has 70, signaling a major political shift and likely giving the BNP enough seats to form the government.

In the ongoing vote count for Bangladesh's national parliamentary elections, the alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has emerged with a strong lead, securing victories in 212 constituencies. The Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance has won 70 constituencies, according to unofficial results.

Meanwhile, independent candidates and other parties have collectively won around six seats.

Despite these early outcomes, the vote counting process is still underway, and official results have yet to be declared. These preliminary figures suggest a significant shift in Bangladesh's political landscape, with the BNP alliance appearing to surpass the halfway mark needed to form the government.

The BNP's chairman, Tarique Rahman, has requested that the celebration of this victory be postponed out of respect for the passing of his mother, Khaleda Zia, before the election. Therefore, they have called for prayers for Khaleda Zia after the Friday congregational prayer. 

Unofficial results on Friday show Tarique Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in a strong lead as Bangladesh continues to count votes after its landmark election on Thursday. 

Rahman has been unofficially declared elected from the Bogura-6 (Sadar) constituency after securing a decisive victory over his nearest rival, as per Daily Star. 

According to results announced by the office of the District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Md Taufiqur Rahman, tallies from 150 polling centres have been completed. The constituency has a total of 151 voting centres, including postal ballots.
Official results have not yet been delivered by the Bangladesh Election Commission, which is expected to issue its announcement on Friday. 

Bangladesh ushered in its most pivotal polls as it seeks to enter into a new chapter from the classic 'Battle of Begums' era on Thursday. This election feels heavy after the demise of Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and the ban on her nemesis, Sheikh Hasina's party, the Awami League.