• Tarique Rahman leads BNP to power after 20 years
• Party, allies secure 212 of 299 seats amid 60pc turnout
• Jamaat wins 77 seats, alleges counting irregularities
• Youth-led National Citizen Party struggles to convert protest into votes
• Referendum yields overwhelming support for constitutional reforms
• President Zardari, PM Shehbaz congratulate BNP chief, vow stronger ties

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s long political winter ended on Friday as voters delivered a sweeping mandate to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returning it to power after nearly 20 years and paving the way for Tarique Rahman to assume the premiership in a reversal of fortunes.

The decisive result follows months of unrest and economic strain after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024, reflecting a public desire for stability, reform and renewed confidence in the country’s democratic process.

Mr Rahman, the son of former premier Khaleda Zia and assassinated former president Ziaur Rahman, faces immediate challenges in restoring political stability, reviving investor confidence and rebuilding key industries, including the garment sector.

An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has since been in charge. A clear outcome was seen as key for the nation of 175 million after months of deadly anti-Hasina unrest disrupted everyday life and industries.

“A strong majority gives the BNP the parliamentary strength to pass reforms efficiently and avoid legislative paralysis. That alone can create short-term political stability,” said Selim Raihan, an economics professor at the University of Dhaka.

The official count in a vote viewed as the country’s first truly competitive election in years gave the BNP and its allies at least 212 out of 299 seats, the Election Commission said.

The opposition party Jamaat-i-Islami and its allies won 77 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation. Results for the two seats were yet to be declared on Friday night.

The National Citizen Party, led by youth activists who played a key role in toppling Hasina and part of a Jamaat-led alliance, won just six of the 30 seats it contested, highlighting the difficulty of converting protest momentum into electoral support.

Tarique Rahman, 60, smiled and waved from his vehicle to journalists gathered outside his house in Dhaka as he left for a mosque, television footage showed.

The BNP asked people to refrain from large celebrations and offer special prayers on Friday instead. “Despite winning ... by a large margin of votes, no celebratory procession or rally shall be organised,” the party said.

In its manifesto, the BNP promised to prioritise job creation, protect low-income households, and ensure fair prices to farmers.

Historic turnout

The Jamaat-i-Islami conceded defeat late on Thursday once trends became clear, but said on Friday that it was “not satisfied” with the process, asking its followers to remain patient.

The party won a record 68 seats in its first election since a 2013 ban on it was lifted after Ms Hasina’s ouster. The BNP’s win surpasses its last victory in 2001, when it won 193 seats.

Jamaat Emir Shafiqur Rahman alleged that although polling in the 13th parliamentary election was “fair”, the results were altered through “irregularities and manipulation” during vote counting, Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported.

He made the allegation at a press conference held on behalf of the 11-party electoral alliance at the party’s central office in Dhaka on Friday night.

Thursday’s election recorded a nearly 60 per cent turnout, according to the Election Commission, well over the 42pc in the last election in 2024.

According to The Daily Star, the number of total registered voters was 127.7m, of whom 64.8m were male and 62.9m were female.

The ballot featured a record number of parties, more than 50, and over 2,000 candidates, many of them independents. The election commission also said around 48 million voters backed constitutional reforms in a referendum held alongside the election, with 23 million voting against them.

The changes include two-term limits for prime ministers and stronger judicial independence and women’s representation.

“If the factories run regularly and we get our wages on time, that’s what matters to us. I just want ... stability so more orders come to Bangladesh and we can survive,” said Josna Begum, a 28-year-old garment worker and mother of two.

President, PM congratulate BNP

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif were among the first to congratulate Mr Rahman on the BNP’s victory.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s support for the sovereignty and democratic aspirations of Bangladesh, the president said Pakistan looks forward to working with the new government to strengthen cooperation in trade, defence, cultural exchanges and regional forums, according to a statement from the Presidency.

President Zardari said the elections in Bangladesh mark an opportunity for South Asia to move beyond past phases in which regional cooperation, including within Saarc, was held hostage by India, which continues to paralyse the great forum that was born in Bangladesh in 1985.

He expressed the hope that the new political environment in Dhaka would contribute to more balanced, independent and mutually respectful engagement across the region.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday spoke with Mr Rahman on the telephone and conveyed heartiest felicitations to him on behalf of the people as well as the government of Pakistan.

According to the PM Office, the prime minister affirmed his resolve to work together with the Bangladesh leadership to further strengthen mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest as well as for regional peace and progress, with full respect for each other’s sovereign equality.

PM Shahbaz also extended an invitation to Mr Rahman to undertake a vi­sit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US ambassador to Bangladesh also congratulated the BNP chief.

India, China and the US are vying for influence in Bangladesh, with the US ambassador telling Reuters this week that Washington was concerned about China’s growing presence.

Salahuddin Ahmed, a leading figure in the BNP, said the party would formally ask India to extradite Ms Hasina, who was sentenced to death in November over a deadly crackdown on the 2024 student-led uprising.

Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2026