DHAKA: Bangladesh&#39;s Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition, which lost its chance to form the country&#39;s next government in this week&#39;s polls, submitted complaints to the Election Commission on Sunday, challenging results in 32 constituencies. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladeshs-next-pm-signals-regional-reset-unity-and-saarc-revival-in-first-address" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tarique Rahman</a>, the scion of one of the country&#39;s most influential <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladeshs-election-commission-publishes-gazette-of-newly-elected-mps" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">political dynasties</a>, celebrated a sweeping victory in the South Asian nation of 170 million after general elections on Thursday. They were the first polls since a 2024 uprising ousted the autocratic government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.&nbsp;Election results&nbsp;The BNP-led alliance won 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, according to the Election Commission. Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman conceded on Saturday, saying his party would &quot;serve as a vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition&quot;. Newly elected lawmakers are expected to be sworn in on Tuesday, after which Rahman is set to become the country&#39;s next prime minister. But on Sunday, Jamaat officials submitted their complaints. &quot;We have identified 32 constituencies where our candidates were unfairly defeated,&quot; said senior Jamaat official Hamidur Rahman Azad. &quot;The election day began smoothly, but the ending was not what we had expected. Fake votes, the circulation of black money (bribes), threats, assaults, and attacks marred the atmosphere.&quot; Police records show that political clashes during the campaign period left five people dead and more than 600 injured.&nbsp;Without major unrest&nbsp;But despite weeks of turbulence ahead of the polls, voting day passed without major unrest and the country has so far responded to the results with relative calm. At least two people were killed in post-poll clashes, while scattered acts of vandalism and assaults were reported in several districts, police said. Both Jamaat-e-Islami and its ally, the National Citizen Party (NCP) -- formed by student leaders who spearheaded the uprising -- reported attacks on their supporters. NCP loyalists marched through the Dhaka University campus against the BNP on Friday. Police spokesman AHM Shahadat Hossain said police were deployed to maintain order. &quot;Over 150,000 police personnel were trained to tackle pre- and post-election violence,&quot; Hossain told AFP.&nbsp;59% turnout&nbsp;The Election Commission said turnout was 59% across 299 of the 300 constituencies where voting was held. Only seven women were directly elected, although a further 50 seats reserved for women will be allocated to parties according to their share of the vote. Four members of minority communities won seats, including two Hindus -- a population that makes up roughly 7% in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Bangladesh

'We have identified 32 constituencies where our candidates were unfairly defeated,' said senior Jamaat official Hamidur Rahman Azad.

Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition submits poll complaints

Web Desk

DHAKA: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami said Saturday it had accepted the &quot;overall outcome&quot; of the election won by the rival nationalist party, despite earlier having alleged problems with the vote count. The elections on Thursday were the first since the deadly 2024 uprising, and Election Commission figures showed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had won a landslide victory.&nbsp;Jamaat chief <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-religious-party-leader-eyes-power-after-decades-in-politics" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shafiqur Rahman</a>, 67, had said on Friday he would &quot;seek redress&quot; from the commission, with his party alleging &quot;inconsistencies and fabrications&quot;.&nbsp;But on Saturday, he conceded defeat.&nbsp;&quot;In any genuine democratic journey, the true test of leadership is not only how we campaign, but how we respond to the verdict of the people,&quot; Rahman said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;We recognize the overall outcome, and we respect the rule of law.&quot;&nbsp;Interim leader Muhammad Yunus congratulated BNP leader Tarique Rahman on &quot;the landslide victory of his party&quot; as he prepared to step down and hand over power to the elected government.&nbsp;The 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has led Bangladesh as its &quot;chief adviser&quot; since the August 2024 uprising, said in a statement that Tarique Rahman &quot;would help guide the country toward stability, inclusiveness, and development&quot;.&nbsp;The BNP alliance won 212 seats compared with 77 for the Jamaat-led alliance, according to the Electoral Commission.&nbsp;Shafiqur Rahman said Jamaat would take part in parliament.&nbsp;&quot;We will serve as a vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition, holding the government to account,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;Our commitment to principled, peaceful politics remains unshaken.&quot;&nbsp;He noted the huge leap in seats the JI had won compared to past elections, including when they were crushed under the autocratic tenure of ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.&nbsp;&quot;Our movement has never been about a single election. It is about strengthening democratic culture, protecting citizens&#39; rights, and building a just and accountable state,&quot; Jamaat&#39;s Rahman added.&nbsp;&quot;With 77 seats, we have nearly quadrupled our parliamentary presence and become one of the strongest opposition blocs in modern Bangladeshi politics. That is not a setback. That is a foundation.&quot;&nbsp;The announcement comes hours after the country&#39;s <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladeshs-election-commission-publishes-gazette-of-newly-elected-mps" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Election Commission officially published the gazette</a>&nbsp;notification of the 13th National Elections, confirming the results and listing 297 newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs).&nbsp;The notification was issued late Friday and signed by the Commission&rsquo;s Senior Secretary, Akhtar Ahmed, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported&nbsp;According to the announcement, the names of the successful candidates were published in line with clause (4) of Article 39 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972 (President&rsquo;s Order No. 155 of 1972).&nbsp;The gazette provides comprehensive details of the elected representatives, including their names, fathers&rsquo; or husbands&rsquo; names, mothers&rsquo; names, residential addresses, and the constituencies they will represent in the National Parliament.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman speaks at an electoral rally at the Padua ACM High School ground in Lohagara, Chattogram, on February 02, 2026. (Photo: BSS/File)

The announcement comes hours after the country's Election Commission officially published the gazette notification of the 13th National Elections, confirming the results and listing 297 newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs).

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief recognizes 'overall outcome' of election

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called Tarique Rahman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), on Friday to congratulate him on the party&rsquo;s historic and significant victory in the general elections, on behalf of Pakistan&rsquo;s government and people.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Prime Minister extended an invitation to Mr. Tarique Rahman to undertake a visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience. The invitation was reciprocated by Mr. Rahman. Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact in the coming days to work for the betterment of the two peoples,&rdquo; according to the Prime Minister&#39;s Office (PMO).&nbsp;PM Sharif recalled the historic brotherly relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh and reaffirmed his resolve to work with Bangladesh&rsquo;s leadership to enhance mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation and promote regional peace, progress, and respect for each other&rsquo;s sovereign equality.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Prime Minister also congratulated the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of the general elections, that reflected the democratic ideals and values espoused by the Bangladeshi nation,&rdquo; the statement added. During the conversation, both leaders fondly recalled Begum Khaleda Zia and paid tribute to her remarkable contributions to Pakistan-Bangladesh relations, bringing the people of both countries closer.&nbsp;

Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on his party’s election win, invited him to visit Pakistan, and reaffirmed efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

PM Sharif congratulates BNP chief, seeks stronger Pakistan-Bangladesh relations

ISLAMABAD: Electioneering by contesting candidates in Bangladesh&rsquo;s 13th National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) Election and Referendum will conclude at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, exactly 48 hours before polling begins, the country&#39;s state media reported, quoting the Election Commission. The campaign, which began on Jan. 22, will end in line with electoral rules requiring a mandatory two-day silence period ahead of voting, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). Election Commission Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said all campaign activities must stop by 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 10 to ensure compliance with election laws. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-elections-test-ties-with-india-as-china-deepens-outreach" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">parliamentary election and referendum</a>&nbsp;will be held on Thursday, with voting scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Balloting will take place through transparent ballot boxes across 299 constituencies nationwide. The Election Commission has cancelled polling in the Sherpur-3 constituency following the death of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate, reducing the number of constituencies going to the polls from 300 to 299. According to EC officials, ballot papers have already been dispatched to returning officers in 49 districts, while the remaining consignments are expected to reach their destinations later today. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/281574fd-7a4e-4eb6-a13f-0b78b1653cd0.png" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">A total of 127.7 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the election and referendum. This includes 64.8 million male voters, 62.9 million female voters, and 1,220 voters from the hijra community. Among the constituencies, Jhalakathi-1 has the fewest voters at 228,431, while Gazipur-2 has the most at 804,333. Overall, 51 political parties are taking part in the election, with 2,034 candidates contesting, including 275 independents. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has fielded the largest number of candidates, with 291 contestants running under its paddy sheaf symbol. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-election-commission-says-poll-preparations-complete" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Polling will be held</a>&nbsp;at 42,779 centres, with 247,482 polling booths set up. Dhaka-12 has the most candidates, with 15 in the race, while Pirojpur-1 has the fewest, with just two candidates. Around 800,000 election officials will be deployed to conduct the polls, while nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel will be assigned to maintain security. In addition, 55,454 observers from 81 locally registered organisations will monitor the election, including 7,997 central observers and 47,457 deployed at the constituency level. Around 500 foreign observers will also be present, Election Commissioner Brig Gen Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah (retd) said.

This photograph, taken on Jan. 30, 2026, shows Ganosamhati Andolon party election candidate Taslima Akhter (centre R) speaking to her supporters during a rally in Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh’s general elections. (Photo: AFP/File)

Election commission official says ballot papers have already been dispatched to returning officers in 49 districts, while the remaining consignments are expected to reach their destinations later today.

Articles tagged with "Bangladesh Election Commission"

Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition submits poll complaints

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief recognizes 'overall outcome' of election

PM Sharif congratulates BNP chief, seeks stronger Pakistan-Bangladesh relations

Bangladesh elections: 2,034 candidates in race as electioneering ends Tuesday