Bangladesh general election: BNP declares victory, surges past Jamaat with 158 seats
According to unofficial results tallied by Ittefaq newspaper, the BNP has won 158 seats, Jamaat 41 and others five seats. Counting had been completed in 204 of the 299 constituencies where polling was held
- Feb 13, 2026,
- Updated Feb 13, 2026 8:53 AM IST
As counting stretched past midnight, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) moved closer to reclaiming power, opening up a commanding lead over its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, in a pivotal general election held to replace the interim administration that took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024.
With Sheikh Hasina’s now disbanded Awami League absent from the fray, the election has unfolded as a direct contest between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Unofficial results late Thursday night indicated the BNP was leading in most constituencies.
According to unofficial results tallied by Ittefaq newspaper, the BNP has won 158 seats, Jamaat 41 and others five seats. Counting had been completed in 204 of the 299 constituencies where polling was held. The report indicated the BNP has won the election.
Election Commission officials said BNP chairman and former premier Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman secured victory in his home district of Bugura. Rahman polled 2,16,284 votes, while his nearest rival and Jamaat nominee Abidur Rahman received 97,626 votes.
The BNP had earlier announced that if it was voted to power, Rahman would be the next prime minister of Bangladesh, bringing to an end the 18-month rule of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
In Dhaka, Jamaat-e-Islami president Shafiqur Rahman was unofficially declared the winner in one constituency, securing 82,645 votes against his BNP rival’s 61,920.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir won from northwestern Thakurgaon with 2,34,144 votes, defeating Jamaat candidate Delwar Hossain, who polled 1,37,281.
In southwestern Khulna, Jamaat’s secretary general, Mia Golam Porwar, lost to BNP’s Ali Asghar Lobby. Porwar secured 1,44,956 votes, while Lobby received 1,47,658.
The 13th parliamentary elections were held alongside a referendum on implementing an 84-point reform package known as the July National Charter. Voting concluded at 4:30 pm (local time), with counting beginning soon after.
Earlier in the day, BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said his party’s victory is "inevitable and clear".
Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan, is seeking to form the first Islamist-led government in constitutionally secular Bangladesh under its 67-year-old chief, Shafiqur Rahman.
The Election Commission deployed nearly 1 million security personnel for the vote, the largest-ever security operation in the country’s electoral history.
(With inputs from PTI)
As counting stretched past midnight, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) moved closer to reclaiming power, opening up a commanding lead over its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, in a pivotal general election held to replace the interim administration that took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024.
With Sheikh Hasina’s now disbanded Awami League absent from the fray, the election has unfolded as a direct contest between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Unofficial results late Thursday night indicated the BNP was leading in most constituencies.
According to unofficial results tallied by Ittefaq newspaper, the BNP has won 158 seats, Jamaat 41 and others five seats. Counting had been completed in 204 of the 299 constituencies where polling was held. The report indicated the BNP has won the election.
Election Commission officials said BNP chairman and former premier Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman secured victory in his home district of Bugura. Rahman polled 2,16,284 votes, while his nearest rival and Jamaat nominee Abidur Rahman received 97,626 votes.
The BNP had earlier announced that if it was voted to power, Rahman would be the next prime minister of Bangladesh, bringing to an end the 18-month rule of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
In Dhaka, Jamaat-e-Islami president Shafiqur Rahman was unofficially declared the winner in one constituency, securing 82,645 votes against his BNP rival’s 61,920.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir won from northwestern Thakurgaon with 2,34,144 votes, defeating Jamaat candidate Delwar Hossain, who polled 1,37,281.
In southwestern Khulna, Jamaat’s secretary general, Mia Golam Porwar, lost to BNP’s Ali Asghar Lobby. Porwar secured 1,44,956 votes, while Lobby received 1,47,658.
The 13th parliamentary elections were held alongside a referendum on implementing an 84-point reform package known as the July National Charter. Voting concluded at 4:30 pm (local time), with counting beginning soon after.
Earlier in the day, BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said his party’s victory is "inevitable and clear".
Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan, is seeking to form the first Islamist-led government in constitutionally secular Bangladesh under its 67-year-old chief, Shafiqur Rahman.
The Election Commission deployed nearly 1 million security personnel for the vote, the largest-ever security operation in the country’s electoral history.
(With inputs from PTI)