The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is leading in the general election with 17 seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami is in second place after winning 10 seats.
According to unconfirmed and unofficial results, the Bangladesh Jatiya Party has won one seat, securing third position.
General elections are being held in Bangladesh following the overthrow of the Hasina Wajid government. Voting for Bangladesh’s general elections has concluded at 3:30 pm Pakistan time across 299 constituencies.
The vote counting began immediately after polling stations closed. A party must secure at least 151 of 300 seats in parliament to form the next government.
For the first time in the country’s electoral history, more than 1.5 million voters cast their ballots through a tech-supported postal voting system. A total of 1,128,382 postal ballots were submitted, including 488,281 from overseas Bangladeshis and 637,101 from selected local groups.
According to media reports, the polling process began at 6:30 am and continued without interruption, according to Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed. He stated that voter turnout reached 47.91 per cent by 2 pm. Authorities reported that voting was not suspended at any polling station during the day.
It reports that three people were injured in a grenade blast at a polling station in Gopalganj district in Dhaka. The explosion partially damaged the station’s main gate.
Bangladesh Election Commission has deployed approximately 300,000 security personnel, including members of the army and police, across the country to maintain law and order situation.
Top political personalities contesting election
Former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s son, Tariq Rahman, is contesting as the prime ministerial candidate of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Shafiqur-ur-Rehman is also in the race and has described the elections as a “turning point” for the country, saying the people’s aspirations are changing and that Bangladesh “deserves change.”
Shafiqur-ur-Rehman called young voters, particularly Generation Z, the ‘heroes of the July Revolution’ and urged citizens not to be influenced by propaganda but to fulfil their “sacred duty” by voting.
BNP chief Tariq Rahman said public order would be his top priority if elected, emphasising a focus on women, who make up nearly half of the country’s population. He also expressed hope for victory and thanked prominent scholars for their support during the campaign.
Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus cast his vote at Gulshan Model School in Dhaka and encouraged citizens to participate in both the parliamentary elections and the accompanying referendum. He described the day as ‘the beginning of freedom and a new dream,” calling on the nation to celebrate the start of a “new Bangladesh.”
Read more: Clashes, alleged irregularities reported ahead of Bangladesh elections 2026
