UPDATE 8-Bangladesh's BNP seen heading for big election win as votes are counted

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party said it was on its way ‌to ​a landslide victory in a pivotal national election late on Thursday, as the head of its main rival appeared to indicate he would accept the result. The parliamentary election was Bangladesh's first vote since the 2024 Gen Z-driven uprising that toppled long-time premier Sheikh Hasina.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party said it was on its way ‌to ​a landslide victory in a

pivotal national election late on Thursday, as the head of its main rival appeared to indicate he would accept the result.

The parliamentary election was Bangladesh's first vote since the 2024 Gen Z-driven uprising that toppled long-time premier Sheikh Hasina. Analysts say a clear outcome is crucial for stability in the nation of 175 million after months of deadly ‌anti-Hasina unrest disrupted everyday life and hit major industries, including the garment sector, the world's second largest exporter.

It was also the first national election to follow the recent under-30, Gen Z-led uprisings that have cropped up through the wider region, with Nepal set to hold a vote next month. BNP EXPECTS LANDSLIDE VICTORY

The head of the BNP's Islamist rival Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party said it would not engage in the "politics of opposition" for the sake of it. "We will do positive politics," Shafiqur Rahman told reporters as the ‌BNP and its allies were leading in 134 seats, inching closer to the halfway mark of 151 in the legislature of 300 members.

Jamaat was way behind at 28 seats, according to one local TV news channel. Jamaat said unofficial ‌results showed the party had won 58 seats. Counting began at 4:30 p.m. (1030 GMT) at most booths, immediately after polls closed. Full results are likely to be clear by Friday morning, Election Commission officials said.

"Of course, BNP is winning, the majority of course, and it would even be a landslide victory," Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, a BNP standing committee member, said. "Winning two-thirds of the seats is called a landslide victory, I think we would cross the 200-seat limit." The party also declared on its official Facebook page that its chief and prime ministerial candidate Tarique Rahman had won one of two seats he contested. ⁠Election authorities ​have yet to announce the result officially.

BNP members clapped and cheered ⁠loudly as they celebrated outside the party office in Dhaka on hearing the news of his victory, visuals on the Facebook page showed. "With the people's love, BNP will form the government with two-thirds majority. Based on constituency-wise results and unofficial data, we're confident of our victory," Tarique Rahman's adviser, Mahdi Amin, ⁠told reporters.

Turnout appeared on track to exceed the 42% recorded in the last election in 2024. Local media reported that more than 60% of registered voters were expected to have cast ballots. HASINA CALLS VOTE A FARCE Hasina's Awami League is banned, and she remains in self-imposed exile ​in long-term ally India, opening the window for China to expand its influence in Bangladesh as Dhaka's ties with New Delhi fray.

Elections under Hasina were frequently marred by boycotts and intimidation, critics say. In a statement sent ⁠to journalists on WhatsApp, Hasina denounced the election as a "carefully planned farce", held without her party and without real voter participation. She said Awami League supporters had rejected the process.

"We demand the cancellation of this voterless, illegal and unconstitutional election ... the removal of the suspension imposed on the activities of the Awami League, ⁠and ​the restoration of the people's voting rights through the arrangement of a free, fair, and inclusive election under a neutral caretaker government," she said. Alongside the election, a referendum was held on a set of constitutional reforms, including establishing a neutral interim government for election periods, restructuring parliament into a bicameral legislature, increasing women's representation, strengthening judicial independence and introducing a two-term limit for the prime minister. More than 2,000 candidates - including many independents - were on the ballot, and at least 50 parties contested, a national ⁠record. Voting in one constituency was postponed after a candidate died.

LONG LINES OF VOTERS, HEAVY SECURITY There were no reports of major violence during the vote. Around 958,000 personnel from the police, army and paramilitary forces were deployed throughout the ⁠country, the Election Commission said. Police and army personnel were stationed outside most ⁠polling booths.

"I am feeling excited because we are voting in a free manner after 17 years," Mohammed Jobair Hossain, 39, said as he waited in line. "Our votes will matter and have meaning." Kamal Chowdhury, 31, who works as a driver for a company in Dhaka and travelled to his hometown in the eastern district of Brahmanbaria to cast his vote, ‌said: "It feels festive here."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)