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)

Bangladesh

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

Muhammad Ibrahim

Ayesha Mir

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a majority of more than two-thirds of the seats in parliamentary polls, the Election Commission said on Friday. Election Commission figures said the BNP alliance had won 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, Commission senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters, according to AFP.&nbsp; Turnout was 59%. A referendum on a sweeping democratic charter was endorsed by 60%of voters. The BNP has emerged with a decisive parliamentary majority as counting continues from Dhaka&rsquo;s landmark general election, the first since a deadly 2024 uprising ended years of one-party dominance. According to the latest unofficial results, the BNP has won&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-votes-amid-tight-security-as-polling-begins-in-landmark-election" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(41, 105, 176);" rel="noopener noreferrer">198 seats</a>,&nbsp;while Jamaat-e-Islami secured 62 seats. The youth-led National Citizen Party (NCP) won two seats, with results in several constituencies still pending or withheld on legal grounds. Polling concluded on Thursday evening, with hand counting beginning immediately under heavy security. The vote is widely seen as Bangladesh&rsquo;s most competitive election in nearly two decades, following the student-led uprising that forced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power in August 2024. The BNP, returning to power after nearly 20 years, urged restraint despite its strong showing. In a statement, the party said no victory rallies would be held, calling instead for nationwide prayers.&ldquo;Despite winning by a large margin, no celebratory procession or rally shall be organised,&rdquo; the statement said, citing the party&rsquo;s responsibility to preserve stability. A clear outcome had been viewed as critical for the Muslim-majority nation of roughly 170 million people, after months of unrest disrupted daily life and key industries, including garments, Bangladesh&rsquo;s largest export sector. BNP leader Tarique Rahman, who returned from years in exile late last year, is widely expected to lead the next government. The transition was overseen by interim chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who assumed office after Hasina fled the country. At the BNP headquarters in Dhaka, supporters gathered overnight as the scale of the party&rsquo;s victory became apparent. Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman struck a conciliatory tone, saying his party would accept the outcome if the prevailing trend held. &ldquo;We will do positive politics,&rdquo; he told reporters, adding that national interest would remain the party&rsquo;s priority. The Election Commission said results in three constituencies, Sherpur-2, Chittagong-2 and Chittagong-4, have been temporarily withheld due to pending legal cases involving winning candidates. &ldquo;The commission is legally obligated to withhold publication of results until final disposal of the relevant cases,&rdquo; said EC official Md Shahidul Islam. Turnout appeared higher than in the previous election, with officials earlier reporting participation approaching the mid-40% range by late afternoon. Voting was held in 299 constituencies, with one seat postponed following a candidate&rsquo;s death. 59% voter turnout&nbsp; Voter turnout in the 13th National Parliamentary Election held on February 12 reached 59.44%, according to the Election Commission of Bangladesh (EC). The information was released on Friday at 11:30 a.m. through a brief statement by Md Ruhul Amin Mallik, Director of the EC&rsquo;s Public Relations Division. Several parties raised concerns after preliminary results were announced. The NCP demanded recounts in multiple constituencies, alleging discrepancies between centre-level counts, media tallies and official announcements. &ldquo;We are getting clear evidence of result tampering aimed at top candidates,&rdquo; NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said at a late-night press conference. Despite these challenges, senior BNP figures framed the outcome as a mandate accompanied by responsibility. BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the party would avoid triumphalism. &ldquo;We have many responsibilities ahead,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We do not want to create any tension through celebratory rallies.&rdquo; Alongside the parliamentary vote, a nationwide referendum on constitutional reforms was held, proposing term limits for prime ministers, stronger judicial independence and changes to parliamentary structure. Official results of the referendum have yet to be announced. International reactionsRegional and international leaders moved quickly to respond to the outcome of Bangladesh&rsquo;s landmark election, praising the peaceful conduct of the vote and the clear result. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated BNP leader Rahman on the party&rsquo;s landslide victory and extended greetings to the people of Bangladesh for what he described as a successful and orderly election. In a statement, Zardari said Pakistan &ldquo;felicitates Tarique Rahman on the decisive mandate&rdquo; and congratulated Bangladesh&rsquo;s citizens for participating in peaceful polls, reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s support for democratic governance and closer bilateral cooperation.<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-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2022139603470495866&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e79a25569e508f448e776fe8581c4fedba454a27&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 322px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>He said Pakistan looked forward to strengthening ties &ldquo;based on shared democratic values and mutual progress.&rdquo; Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X on Friday, stated: &quot;I extend my warmest felicitations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on leading the BNP to a resounding victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of the elections.&quot; &quot;I look forward to working closely with the new Bangladesh leadership to further strengthen our historic, brotherly multifaceted bilateral relations and advance our shared goals of peace, stability, and development in South Asia and beyond.&quot;<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" 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=2022158528757350813&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e79a25569e508f448e776fe8581c4fedba454a27&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The United States also welcomed the result, offering congratulations to both voters and the winning party. &ldquo;Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on a successful election, and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Tarique Rahman on your historic victory,&rdquo; the US embassy in Dhaka said in a statement. It added that Washington &ldquo;looks forward to working with the new leadership to advance shared goals of prosperity, security and regional stability.&rdquo; As counting continues and final results are certified, analysts say the coming days will test whether Bangladesh&rsquo;s post-uprising transition delivers political stability and restores public trust in democratic institutions.

According to Election Commission figures, the BNP alliance wins 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami–led alliance; voter turnout stands at 59%, and a referendum on a sweeping democratic charter is endorsed by 60% of voters.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins election: Official results

Ali Andaz Haider

DHAKA, Bangladesh: Ali Riaz, special assistant to chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, has said participation of more than 50 political parties in the parliamentary elections reflects their enthusiasm, pointing out that New Delhi has not been able to recognize the change in Bangladesh. Talking exclusively to Pakistan TV in Dhaka, Ali Riaz said the broad political participation demonstrates that Bangladesh is entering a new political phase following years without a credible electoral process. He said many Bangladeshis had not previously had the opportunity to participate in a free and fair vote. &ldquo;So far the voters have been very much enthusiastic because they did not have an opportunity to participate in a free and fair vote,&rdquo; he said, adding that nearly one-fourth of the electorate is under the age of 37, meaning they have never voted in what is widely regarded as a genuinely competitive election. Ali Riaz went on to say that around four million voters are casting ballots for the first time, making this their &ldquo;first test of democracy&rdquo;. With nearly 130 million registered voters, Riaz described the polls as one of the largest electoral exercises globally in 2026, saying that the elections follow a popular uprising that ended a 16-year autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina. The special assistant said the elections offer an opportunity to establish an accountable democratic government, adding that proposed constitutional reforms placed before the electorate could usher in a more accountable governance structure. He said the interim government had inherited a &ldquo;hollowed-out&rdquo; economy and focused on stabilizing it, leaving longer-term reforms to the next elected administration. Ali Riaz was critical of Sheikh Hasina regime&rsquo;s approach toward India, saying it was overly aligned with Indian interests. He said the Indian establishment has not been able to recognize the change and accept the change in Bangladesh. &ldquo;But this cannot continue. India will have to rethink its policies,&rdquo; he added. He said any incoming government would have to prioritize Bangladesh&rsquo;s national interest in its foreign policy, stressing that relations should be based on mutual respect and benefit. While acknowledging potential post-election challenges, including economic pressures and destabilizing forces, Riaz said he remains optimistic that a government emerging from strong voter participation would pursue accountable governance at home and a balanced, sovereign foreign policy abroad. He further said the parliamentary elections represented both a democratic reset within Bangladesh and a signal to regional actors that the country is charting a new direction.

SAT News Desk

Ali Riaz, special assistant to chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, has said participation of more than 50 political parties in the parliamentary elections reflects their enthusiasm, pointing out that New Delhi has not been able to recognize the change in Bangladesh.

Articles tagged with "Elections in Bangladesh 2026"

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

Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins election: Official results

BD chief adviser’s aide says political parties show enthusiasm for polls