BNP leads in early trends as Bangladesh counts votes

Dhaka: Vote counting was under way across Bangladesh on Thursday night, with early trends indicating that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was taking the lead in several constituencies, after millions cast their ballots in a pivotal general election to choose a new government. The vote is set to replace the interim administration that assumed office following the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024.

Polling for the 13th parliamentary elections ended at 4:30 pm local time, and counting began soon afterward. Election authorities said voting continued at centres where voters were still queued inside at closing time. An Election Commission spokesman said, “The first significant results may be available overnight.”

The nationwide vote was conducted alongside a referendum on implementing an 84-point reform package known as the July National Charter. The referendum, introduced by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, seeks extensive constitutional changes and is seen as a crucial moment in determining the country’s future political structure.

Senior Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said that turnout reached around 48 per cent by 2 pm nationwide, according to the state-run BSS news agency. Nearly 127 million voters were registered, including five million first-time voters. Balloting took place at 42,779 polling centres across 299 of the country’s 300 constituencies. Voting in one constituency was cancelled due to the death of a candidate.

The contest is widely viewed as a direct fight between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, after the disbanding of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. A total of 1,755 candidates from 50 political parties and 273 independents contested the election. The BNP fielded the highest number of candidates at 291. Among all contestants, 83 were women.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which leads an 11-party alliance, described the voting process as “excellent” and expressed hope of securing what it called a “landslide victory,” even as it reported isolated incidents of violence and irregularities. BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said his party’s victory was “inevitable and clear.”

Earlier, senior leaders from both parties raised concerns about possible manipulation, while stating they would accept the outcome if the election was conducted in a free and impartial manner. Tarique Rahman, the BNP’s prime ministerial candidate, said he was “confident” his party would return to power after more than 15 years in opposition, but called for the timely release of results. “If the election is held in a free, fair, impartial manner and without controversy, then why shouldn’t we accept it? We will accept it. However, of course, there is one condition that the election must be impartial and peaceful,” he said.

Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman, 67, whose party once opposed Bangladesh’s 1971 independence from Pakistan, said, “We want the results that will come through a fair process. If the vote is free and impartial, we will accept the outcome. Others must also accept it. That is the beauty of democracy.” He alleged attempts to cast fake votes in several areas and said some of the party’s polling agents were attacked and wounded.

Both BNP and Jamaat instructed their workers to remain at polling stations until results were declared.

Security arrangements were extensive. Nearly one million security personnel were deployed nationwide, the largest mobilisation in the country’s electoral history. Of them, about 900,000 were law enforcement officers tasked with maintaining order and preventing violence. Armoured Personnel Carriers and Rapid Action Teams were stationed in key parts of the capital. Authorities also deployed drones and body-worn cameras for the first time in election security operations.

Despite the measures, reports of violence surfaced. At least four people died after falling ill at or near polling stations in four districts during voting hours. In Gopalganj, three people, including a 13-year-old girl, were injured in an alleged hand bomb attack at a polling station, according to BDnews24. A separate series of hand bomb explosions occurred outside a polling station in the Munshiganj-3 constituency, temporarily disrupting voting.

In Khulna, a BNP leader died following an altercation with Jamaat activists outside a polling centre. The Daily Star reported that ballot stuffing allegations led to clashes between Jamaat and BNP activists in Sylhet’s Balaganj subdistrict, prompting security intervention. In Dhaka, police arrested a Jamaat leader on allegations of buying votes, while crude bombs exploded near seven polling centres in southwestern Gopalganj hours before voting began. Three people were arrested in Joypurhat’s Kalai area for allegedly distributing photocopies of ballot papers among party activists.

Chief Adviser Yunus thanked voters after polls closed. “I call upon political parties and candidates to uphold democratic decency, tolerance and mutual respect even after the final results are announced. Differences of opinion will exist, but in the national interest, we must remain united,” he said. “We will move forward collectively toward building an accountable, inclusive and justice-based state. Let’s work together in this journey to strengthen democracy.” Earlier, he described the vote and referendum as a historic opportunity, saying, “Let’s celebrate the birthday of Bangladesh today.”

The Awami League, which retains a significant support base, dismissed the elections as “a well-planned farce” and called for “free, fair and inclusive elections under a neutral caretaker government.” Analysts noted that many of its supporters still cast ballots, citing local considerations and concerns about possible repercussions from eventual winners.

If the “Yes” vote prevails in the referendum, the newly elected Parliament could establish a constitutional reform council tasked with completing major changes within 180 working days of its first session.

More than 55,454 observers from 81 local organisations monitored the election, alongside 394 foreign poll monitors. As counting progresses and early trends show the BNP ahead, attention remains fixed on both the parliamentary results and the outcome of the referendum, which together may shape Bangladesh’s next political phase.