Bangladesh Elections: Tarique Rahman’s BNP heads for landslide, ‘two-thirds majority’, declares TV

Bangladesh Elections: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is all set to secure a landslide victory in the South Asian nation's general elections, as counting progressed, TV channels declared on Friday. The BNP win would mean its chairman, Tarique Rahman, who spent 17 years in self-imposed exile, would become the nation's next prime minister.

The elections were held on 12 February to elect a government to replace the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024.

The Election Commission (EC) is yet to make a formal announcement.

Multiple media tallies showed the BNP had won more than 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament. Jamuna and Somoy television channels reported that the BNP had secured 197 seats.

The Islamist-led coalition headed by Jamaat-e-Islami has won 63 seats, the stations projected, a huge leap from its past results but far short of the outright win it had campaigned for.

BNP election committee spokesman Mahdi Amin was quoted as telling reporters in Dhaka that the party was on track to win at least two-thirds of seats. "Buoyed by strong public support, the BNP will secure a two-thirds majority and form the government," Amin told reporters, adding that party chief Tarique Rahman had won "both seats" he had run in.

The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has been in place for 18 months.

Voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held alongside a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform package known as the July National Charter.

An EC spokesperson said the results in several seats were still being processed and were likely to be announced in a few hours.

Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in December last year after over 17 years in self-exile, asked party leaders and activists to offer special prayers across the country after mid-day 'Juma' prayers instead of holding victory rallies.

Several users described the developments as a “voting rigging festival,” and some showed that polling officials, too, were involved in the alleged ballot manipulation ahead of the counting.

Mint couldn't independently verify the alleged ‘rigging’ videos. All claims are based on claims made by social media users

The EC was yet to announce the voter turnout figure. It, however, dismissed allegations of voter manipulation and rigging at polling centres, news agency PTI said.

(With agency inputs)