The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led coalition claimed victory in Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election on Friday, with projections showing it ahead in 209 of 299 constituencies, local television channels reported.
The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was projected to secure 68 seats, positioning it as the main opposition party.
The Election Commission had not released final official results as counting continued.
The vote was the first national election since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in 2024 following weeks of student-led protests against her government.
BNP chief Tarique Rahman thanked supporters but said the party would not hold victory rallies, calling instead for special Friday prayers for the country’s welfare.
Alongside the parliamentary polls, voters took part in a referendum on the National Charter 2024, drafted by the interim administration led by Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus, which outlines a framework for future governance.
Yunus assumed office as chief adviser three days after Hasina fled to India on Aug. 5, 2024, amid mounting unrest. He had pledged to step down once an elected government was installed.
Preliminary referendum results showed 215,000 votes in favour of the reforms and about 80,203 against, the Daily Star newspaper reported.
Rahman won in both the Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies, according to unofficial results cited by local media. His victory comes six weeks after the death of his mother, former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Yunus described the election day as “the birthday of a new Bangladesh”, saying the peaceful conduct of the vote underscored the country’s commitment to democracy.
Hasina, however, dismissed the election as “farcical” and “unconstitutional” after polls closed, thanking citizens who rejected a vote conducted without the participation of her party, the Awami League.
The previous general election in January 2024 returned Hasina to power for a fourth consecutive term after the Awami League won 222 of 300 seats. Opposition parties had boycotted that vote, alleging electoral manipulation.
In May 2025, the interim government banned all activities of the Awami League, including its online platforms, under anti-terrorism legislation.
A February 2025 United Nations report accused Hasina’s government, security forces and associated groups of systematic repression during the 2024 protests, saying the abuses could amount to crimes against humanity.
The report said that of roughly 1,400 people killed between July 1 and Aug. 15, 2024, the majority were shot by security forces, with children accounting for 12% to 13% of the deaths.
On Nov. 17, 2025, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity over the crackdown. She has denied the charges and described the tribunal as politically motivated.