BNP heading towards major victory; set to return to power after two decades

It is becoming increasingly clear that BNPs top leader Tarique Rahman is set to become the prime minister to replace the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, under whose tenure Dhakas relations with New Delhi witnessed a significant downturn.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday was cruising towards a sweeping victory with more than two-thirds majority in the landmark parliamentary polls and is all set to return to power after a gap of two decades. The elections assumed significance as they were held after a period of tumultuous political vacuum, instability and fragile security situation, including widespread attacks on minorities after the student-led protests brought down the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. It is becoming increasingly clear that BNP's top leader Tarique Rahman is set to become the prime minister to replace the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, under whose tenure Dhaka's relations with New Delhi witnessed a significant downturn. According to media reports, the BNP has bagged more than 200 seats out of 300 while Jamaat-e-Islami, a hardline party known to be close to Islamabad, was heading or winning in around 75 seats. The Awami League party of Hasina has been barred from contesting the polls. The Election Commission (EC) is yet to make a formal announcement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Rahman and congratulated him on BNP's spectacular victory. ''Delighted to speak with Mr. Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections,'' Modi said on social media. ''I conveyed my best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India's continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples,'' he said. In an earlier social media post, Modi said India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. ''I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals,'' he said. On its part, the BNP thanked Modi for recognising the verdict of the elections and hoped that the relations between the two countries would be strengthened under the new government. ''We thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for congratulating our leader, Tarique Rahman. It is great that a democratic country is supposed to recognise the verdict of the people, and Mr Narendra Modi has done this. We thank him,'' senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan said. India-Bangladesh relations witnessed a severe strain after the collapse of the Hasina-led government. The US Embassy in Dhaka has congratulated the people of Bangladesh in advance on what it described as a successful national election, extending special recognition to BNP and Rahman for their ''historic victory.'' ''Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on a successful election and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Tarique Rahman on your historic victory. The United States looks forward to working with you to realise shared goals of prosperity and security for both our countries,'' its social media post read. The election was seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami. BNP was in power earlier between 2001 and 2006 when Jamaat was its crucial partner, with two of its leaders serving as ministers. The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held on Thursday along with a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform package, known as the July National Charter. Meanwhile, Jamaat has raised allegations of ''abnormal delays'' and ''result tampering,'' warning that it would launch a tough movement if the public mandate were ''snatched away''. Speaking to reporters at the Election Commission building early morning, Jamaat's assistant secretary general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair alleged that returning officers were intentionally delaying results to favour a ''particular party.'' ''In the seats contested by our top leaders, results should have been declared by 8 pm or 9 pm according to the signed sheets given to polling agents,'' Zubair said. Jamaat's major ally in an 11-party right-wing alliance, the National Citizen Party (NCP), floated with interim government chief Yunus last year, also brought allegations of ''result tampering and planned fraud'' in multiple Dhaka seats in particular. The Election Commission announced on Friday that the voter turnout for the polls was 59.44 per cent. It also dismissed allegations of manipulation regarding voters' appearances in polling centres. Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Friday said the spontaneous and massive participation of people in the election proved that 'we are ultimately victorious as a nation.' ''We had only one commitment to the nation: to conduct a neutral election. We have tried our best to ensure that. We are deeply grateful to the people of the country as they participated spontaneously in this massive arrangement. This has proved that we are ultimately victorious as a nation.'' More than 2,000 candidates, including a number of independents, were in the fray for 299 of the 300 parliamentary constituencies that went to the polls. Polling for one seat was postponed due to the death of a candidate. The Election Commission made elaborate security arrangements for the elections, deploying nearly 1 million security personnel -- the largest-ever in the country's electoral history.

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