Bangladesh Elections 2026 LIVE Updates: BNP, allies lead in 160 of 299 seats
Bangladeshi women leave after casting their votes outside a polling station during national parliamentary election in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (AP)
Bangladesh Elections 2026 Live Updates: Vote counting for the high-stakes election is underway in Bangladesh. The BNP and its allies are leading in 160 out of the total 299 seats. Tens of millions of Bangladeshis voted on Thursday in an election that they hope will provide stability and growth after the 2024 ouster of long-time premier Sheikh Hasina in a Gen Z-driven uprising. The polling concluded at 4 pm across 299 constituencies in the country with a voter turnout of 47.91%.
With the Awami League barred from the ballot, the political landscape has undergone a radical shift. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by the recently returned Tarique Rahman, has emerged as the frontrunner, promising a “new path” focused on job creation and the rule of law. However, they face a surging challenge from a re-energised Jamaat-e-Islami and the youth-led National Citizen Party (NCP), signalling a new era of coalition-driven politics.
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This time, more than 2,000 candidates, including many independents, are vying for 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation. The two prime ministerial candidates are the BNP’s Tarique Rahman and Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman. They are not related. Voting in one constituency has been postponed due to the death of a candidate. At least 50 parties are contesting in total, a national record.
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