Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins parliamentary election, Tarique Rahman set to be next PM

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won the parliamentary election on Friday (February 13), a local TV station showed, as ballots were counted in a pivotal vote in Bangladesh.BNP had won 151 seats in the 300-member parliament, Ekattor TV showed, securing a simple majority. The Election Commission (EC) is yet to make a formal announcement.

Top prime ministerial contender Tarique Rahman, the 60-year-old son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman led the BNP.
The election was seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina’s now-disbanded Awami League.Shafiqur Rahman, the head of BNP’s main rival, the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, conceded defeat, with his party-led alliance on just 68 seats

The election was held on February 12. It was Bangladesh’s first vote since the 2024 Gen Z-driven uprising that toppled Hasina.

Local media reported that more than 60% of registered voters were expected to have voted in this poll. More than 2,000 candidates – including many independents – were on the ballot, and at least 50 parties contested seats. Voting in one constituency was postponed after a candidate died.

Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December 2025 after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile in London. He led the BNP into national elections, marking a dramatic political comeback.

Rahman formally took charge of the BNP from his mother. Zia passed away just five days after Rahman’s return, bringing to a close a defining chapter in Bangladeshi politics.