Bangladesh Election Results 2026 Live Updates: In first reaction, Tarique Rahman thanks supporters for BNP’s landslide victory
Bangladesh Election Results 2026 Live: Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of former Prime Minister the late Khaleda Zia, is poised to become Bangladesh’s next prime minister.
Bangladesh Election Results 2026 Live Updates: Bangladesh’s opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a landslide Parliamentary election Friday, returning to power after nearly two decades and positioning party leader Tarique Rahman to become prime minister as the country emerges from months of unrest and economic disruption. 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, after prolonged turmoil that followed the collapse of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government last year.
Latest updates: The latest counts in a vote viewed as Bangladesh’s first truly competitive election in years gave the BNP and its allies at least 212 of the 299 seats up for grabs, local TV channels said. The opposition Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies won 70 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation.
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Tarique Rahman set to become Bangladesh PM: It is becoming increasingly clear that Tarique Rahman is set to become the prime minister to replace the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. While the Bangladesh Election Commission is yet to formally announce the results, expected later today, BNP chairman Tarique Rahman has already won two seats — Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6 — according to unofficial counts.
Rahman, 60, has not yet commented even though more than 12 hours have passed since trends in favour of his party became clear, but the BNP asked people to refrain from large celebrations and offer special prayers on Friday instead.
Express reporter in Dhaka. Watch here:
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For the first time in three decades, the Awami League’s “boat” symbol is absent from ballots, as the party remains suspended following the collapse of the previous administration. In its place, a reconfigured political landscape has emerged, pitting the BNP against a surging 11-party alliance led by the Jamaat-e-Islami and the youth-centric National Citizen Party (NCP).
| Category | Details |
| Eligible voters | 127.7 million (including 5 million first-time voters) |
| Voter turnout (2pm) | 59% reported by the Election Commission |
| Parliamentary seats | 299 contested (1 postponed due to a candidate’s death) |
| Security personnel | Nearly 900,000 deployed nationwide |
| Unique Feature | Concurrent National Referendum on constitutional reforms |
Bangladesh election numbers: The voting began at 7:30 AM (local time) in Bangladesh in 299 parliamentary constituencies and is scheduled to continue until 4:30 PM. The Bangladesh election commission has cancelled the voting in one of the constituencies after the death of the candidate. A total of 50 political parties are contesting the polls with 1,755 candidates and 273 independents are also contesting the election.
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