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ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh&#39;s Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman and other newly elected lawmakers from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-cabinet-members-to-take-oath-at-parliament-on-feb-17" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">took oaths</a>&nbsp;Tuesday in the National Parliament, the country&rsquo;s state broadcaster reported. According to state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin administered the oaths at 10:43 am local time in the parliament&#39;s Oath Room. Parliament Secretary Kaniz Moula led the ceremony. The MPs then signed the official oath register. The BNP secured 209 seats alone in the Feb. 12 election for the 300-seat unicameral legislature. Its allies&mdash;the National Rights Council, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, and Gano Sanghati Andolon&mdash;each took one seat. Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladeshs-jamaateislamiled-coalition-submits-poll-complaints" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami</a> won 68 seats and forms the main opposition. Its partners claimed eight more: six for the National Citizen Party, two for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, and one for Khelafat Majlish. Islami Andolon Bangladesh grabbed one seat. Independents took seven seats. The Bangladesh Election Commission published results for 297 seats on Friday. It delayed two Chittagong-area constituencies &ndash; a major port city &ndash; and one in Sherpur due to a candidate&#39;s death. Later in the day, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman was also elected parliamentary party leader unopposed. BNP media official Shairul Kabir Khan announced the result from a party meeting in the parliament building.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party members take oath at Jatiya Sangsad (the unicameral legislative body of Bangladesh) on February 17, 2026. (Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha)

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawmakers took oaths in Bangladesh parliament Tuesday after their party's big election win. Jamaat-e-Islami forms opposition.

Bangladesh PM-elect Tarique Rahman, lawmakers sworn into parliament

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

Ayesha Mir

Muhammad Ibrahim

DHAKA: On the eve of Bangladesh&rsquo;s 13th parliamentary election, the capital feels unusually still. Streets that are normally choked with rickshaws, buses, and pedestrians are noticeably empty. Shops are shuttered, offices closed, and public transport thinned out, as the country observes a government-declared holiday ahead of polling.&nbsp;Dhaka, one of the world&rsquo;s busiest and most densely populated cities, is taking a pause. Security personnel patrol intersections and outside polling centres, while election officials make last-minute preparations, stacking ballot papers, checking voter lists, and securing transparent ballot boxes. For most residents, life has slowed; for those running the vote, work has intensified.&nbsp;Inside the Election Commission headquarters, however, the atmosphere is a stark contrast. The building is a hive of activity, crowded with domestic and international journalists, election staff, and observers from around the world. Television crews set up live positions, while staff coordinate logistics and field queries from returning officers across the country.&nbsp;Departure from past pollsBangladesh&rsquo;s 13th Jatiya Sangsad election represents a marked departure from recent voting history, with broad participation by opposition parties and heightened voter expectations following years of one-sided polls dominated by the now-banned Awami League.&nbsp;For more than a decade under former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, elections were defined by opposition boycotts, arrests of senior leaders, and low-competition races. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) stayed away from the 2014 election entirely and formally boycotted the 2024 polls, while Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) was barred from electoral politics for years. As a result, voter turnout and political competition were widely questioned.&nbsp;&ldquo;This election is fundamentally different from the last three,&rdquo; said Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah. &ldquo;There is real competition in most constituencies, and voters have meaningful choices.&rdquo;&nbsp;In the 2024 election, the Awami League and its allies won an overwhelming majority after the BNP refused to participate, calling the polls &ldquo;illegitimate.&rdquo; According to the Election Commission, turnout was around 41%, though opposition groups disputed the figure and described voter participation as much lower.&nbsp;The 2018 election, in which the BNP did contest, was marred by allegations of vote rigging, intimidation and overnight ballot stuffing. International observers and rights groups raised concerns, and the credibility of the outcome was sharply contested. Analysts noted that opposition supporters often stayed away because the outcome felt predetermined.&nbsp;&ldquo;People stayed home not because they were apathetic, but because the outcome felt predetermined,&rdquo; said Dhaka-based political analyst Ali Riaz. &ldquo;Turnout reflected the absence of trust, not the absence of interest.&rdquo;&nbsp;Opposition returns, ruling party absentThis election reverses that pattern. The Awami League has been barred from contesting after the Election Commission suspended its registration, while 51 political parties, including the BNP and candidates linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, are actively contesting seats. More than 2,000 candidates are in the race, including hundreds of independents.&nbsp;BNP leaders say the party&rsquo;s return to the ballot has reactivated its voter base.&nbsp;&ldquo;For the first time in years, our supporters believe their vote will matter,&rdquo; BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told reporters. &ldquo;That belief is the single biggest driver of turnout.&rdquo;&nbsp;While Jamaat-e-Islami is not contesting under its former banner, candidates linked to the party are running as independents or under allied platforms. Party leaders say their supporters, long excluded from formal politics, are motivated to re-engage.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is the first election in years where Jamaat supporters feel politically visible again,&rdquo; said a senior party figure, speaking on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;Voter expectations and youth engagementVoter expectations have also shifted. Instead of choosing between participation and boycott, citizens are weighing party platforms, candidates&rsquo; credibility, and post-election stability. Interviews with voters in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Rajshahi suggest high, though cautious, &nbsp;optimism.&nbsp;&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t vote in the last election,&rdquo; Rahima Begum, a 32-year-old garment worker in Gazipur, told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;There was no point. This time, I want to vote because the Awami League is not there, and the result feels open.&rdquo;&nbsp;Younger voters, many of whom reached voting age after 2018, see the election as their first meaningful political exercise. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus acknowledged this sentiment in a televised address on Tuesday, calling the vote &ldquo;the first national election following a mass uprising.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Through your ballots, the demands once voiced on the streets will now be expressed constitutionally,&rdquo; Yunus said.&nbsp;Turnout expectations and stakesElection officials have not issued turnout projections but privately acknowledge that participation is expected to be higher than in 2024, driven by competitive races and opposition participation.&nbsp;Political scientist Meghna Guhathakurta said turnout this time will be driven less by party loyalty and more by uncertainty.&nbsp;&ldquo;When outcomes are uncertain, turnout rises,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This election has uncertainty, not because one party dominates, but because several forces are competing.&rdquo;&nbsp;Analysts caution that participation alone will not guarantee legitimacy.&nbsp;&ldquo;Turnout will matter,&rdquo; said Riaz, &ldquo;but credibility will depend on whether voters believe the process was fair, the count accurate, and power transferred peacefully.&rdquo;

Asia

Dhaka pauses ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election, marked by broad opposition participation and the absence of the Awami League. Officials expect a higher turnout, as voters weigh uncertainty, credibility, and hopes for a fair process.

Dhaka holds its breath as Bangladesh prepares for historic election

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh&rsquo;s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called on citizens to vote &ldquo;without fear and with courage&rdquo; in Thursday&rsquo;s 13th Jatiya Sangsad (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/younger-bangladesh-voters-primed-for-first-posthasina-election" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">parliamentary elections</a>) and a landmark referendum on the July National Charter, describing the twin votes as a historic turning point for the country&rsquo;s democratic future.&nbsp;In a televised address to the nation on Tuesday evening, Yunus said the polls mark a decisive moment following a long struggle against authoritarianism and the July mass uprising that reshaped the political landscape.&nbsp;&ldquo;Some days come in the life of every nation that have far-reaching significance,&rdquo; he said, adding that voters will not only elect a new government but also determine the future structure of the state through the referendum.&nbsp;The Chief Adviser said 51 political parties &mdash; the highest number in the country&rsquo;s history &mdash; and more than 2,000 candidates, including independents, are contesting the election. He termed the campaign period &ldquo;remarkably peaceful&rdquo; compared to previous polls, while expressing sorrow over isolated incidents of violence that claimed lives.&nbsp;&ldquo;This election is not just another routine poll but the first national election following a mass uprising,&rdquo; Yunus said. &ldquo;Through your ballots, the demands once voiced on the streets will now be expressed constitutionally.&rdquo;&nbsp;He urged young and women voters, many of whom he said were deprived of meaningful voting opportunities for 17 years, to treat the ballot as their &ldquo;first true political statement.&rdquo; A single vote, he added, would not only choose a government but respond to years of &ldquo;silence and unchecked fascism.&rdquo;&nbsp;Massive security, record staffingAuthorities have mounted one of the largest election operations in Bangladesh&rsquo;s history.&nbsp;According to the Election Commission (EC), a total of 7,85,225 officials will be deployed nationwide to conduct the polls at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-elections-2034-candidates-in-race-as-electioneering-ends-tuesday" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">42,779 polling centers.</a>&nbsp;The workforce includes 69 returning officers, 598 assistant returning officers, 42,779 presiding officers, 2,47,482 assistant presiding officers and 4,94,964 polling officers.&nbsp;In parallel, security has been significantly reinforced. The Bangladesh Army has deployed at least 150,000 troops across the country ahead of the February 12 vote to ensure public safety. Overall, around 900,000 personnel from the military, paramilitary and law enforcement agencies are in the field, with deployments set to continue for seven days after the elections.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2021192821349417442&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=ac6479d70a349e5b3229f44cd4ec8849e9268f08&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>The security apparatus includes armoured vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electronic surveillance systems, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams and specialised intelligence and reconnaissance units.&nbsp;Yunus said law enforcement agencies, supported by armed forces personnel vested with magisterial powers, would act firmly against violence, intimidation, vote manipulation or rumour-mongering &mdash; both offline and online.&nbsp;Technology is also being used extensively, with CCTV cameras installed widely, body-worn cameras for polling officials, and drones deployed to monitor sensitive areas.&nbsp;Referendum to shape future reformsAlongside parliamentary elections, voters will decide on the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-elections-2034-candidates-in-race-as-electioneering-ends-tuesday" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">July National Charter,</a> a reform document drafted after nine months of consultations with more than 30 political parties through the National Consensus Commission.&nbsp;Yunus described the charter as a roadmap for political stability, accountable governance, economic restructuring and equal rights, saying its implementation requires direct public endorsement.&nbsp;&ldquo;Your every vote here will lay the foundation for the future state system. Its impact will last for many generations,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Dismissing rumours that the interim administration would delay transferring power, Yunus assured citizens that the elected government would assume office promptly once the results are finalised.&nbsp;Calling on voters to head to polling stations &ldquo;with hope, not fear,&rdquo; he said: &ldquo;The key to the country is in your hands. Use that key properly.&rdquo;&nbsp;Polling for both the general election and referendum will be held on February 12 nationwide.

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. (Photo: BSS)

Chief Adviser says the polls mark a decisive moment following a long struggle against authoritarianism and the July mass uprising that reshaped the political landscape.

Bangladesh’s Yunus urges high voter turnout as 800,000 officials, security deployed nationwide

&nbsp;DHAKA: Bangladesh&#39;s leading prime ministerial hopeful Tarique Rahman said on Tuesday he faces &quot;huge&quot; challenges if he wins elections this week, vowing to repair a country he said was looted under the previous ousted government. If victorious on Thursday, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said his first priority would be restoring security to end the political turmoil that has gripped the country since the overthrow of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina&#39;s autocratic rule by a 2024 youth-led uprising. &quot;We need to ensure a normal situation in the country so that people are safe,&quot; Rahman told AFP. But he warned the task ahead in the South Asian nation of 170 million people would be daunting. &quot;The economy has been destroyed,&quot; he said, accusing the ousted government of neglecting ordinary citizens. &quot;The health system has been destroyed in the last regime, the energy sector has been destroyed.&quot; Rahman&#39;s BNP is a frontrunner in the polls, but faces a stiff challenge from a coalition led by Jamaat-e-Islami, the country&#39;s largest Islamist party. Soft-spoken Rahman, sitting in his office underneath gold-framed portraits of his late parents&mdash;former Bangladesh leaders Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia&mdash;said he was confident of a decisive victory. &quot;We expect that we will have a clear mandate from the people&mdash;a big mandate,&quot; he said, adding he did not foresee the need for a coalition beyond his current party alliance. &quot;We&#39;ll have enough seats to form our own government.&quot; &#39;Try to do better&#39;Rahman, 60, returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile in Britain during Hasina&#39;s rule. He assumed the leadership of the BNP from his mother, three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia, who died in December aged 80, just days after he returned. &quot;They were they, I am me,&quot; he said, referring to his famous parents, but stressing that he, too, had spent a lifetime in politics. &quot;I will try to do better than them.&quot; At the top of the list of tasks he will face if elected will be tackling the economic woes of the world&#39;s second-largest garment producer. &quot;There are serious challenges ahead of us &mdash; we need to tackle the economic situation,&quot; he added. &quot;There are a huge number of unemployed. We need to create businesses for these young people to have jobs,&quot; he said, adding he was particularly worried about the economic situation faced by women. &#39;Neighborly relationship&#39;&nbsp;With relations between Bangladesh and neighboring India strained, Rahman struck a careful note on foreign ties. &quot;The interest of my people, and the interest of my country, comes first,&quot; he said, but added that Bangladesh nevertheless wanted &quot;at least a neighbourly relationship&quot; with the countries surrounding it. Hasina, 78, is currently in hiding in India and was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity in November. She was once praised for overseeing Bangladesh&#39;s rapid economic rise, but she also presided over a government that crushed dissent and is accused of rampant theft, especially from large-scale public infrastructure projects. &quot;What we see is that in the name of mega projects, mega corruption has taken place,&quot; said Rahman. &quot;A few people were made very rich. But the rest of the country, the whole population, they were left with nothing.&quot; But Rahman said he opposed banning political parties by law. Bangladesh&#39;s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has barred Hasina&#39;s Awami League from contesting the vote. &quot;Of course, if someone is involved in some kind of crime, they need to be punished as per the law,&quot; he said.

Tarique Rahman says he faces 'huge' challenges if he wins elections this week; vows to repair a country he says was looted under the previous ousted government.

Articles tagged with "Bangladesh election"

Bangladesh PM-elect Tarique Rahman, lawmakers sworn into parliament

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

Dhaka holds its breath as Bangladesh prepares for historic election

Bangladesh’s Yunus urges high voter turnout as 800,000 officials, security deployed nationwide

Bangladesh's PM-hopeful Rahman warns of 'huge' challenges ahead