BNP and Allies Win Big as Bangladesh Poll Results Emerge
Bangladesh: Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections have seen a decisive lead by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party as unofficial and preliminary results continue to emerge.
According to available results, BNP and its allied parties have won 209 of the 299 seats in the National Parliament. Unverified figures indicate that under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, the party has secured 151 seats. Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, was declared successful from both Dhaka and Bogura constituencies.
Bangladeshi media reported that Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and its allies won 70 seats, while the National Citizen Party secured five seats as part of the alliance. Addressing supporters, Tarique Rahman said maintaining law and order would be the top priority, stressing special attention to women, who make up half of the population. He urged party workers to avoid rallies or celebrations and instead offer special prayers.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman alleged delays in results in several constituencies and warned of protests. He said the party would respond after official results are announced and pledged constructive, public-interest-based politics.
Alongside the general elections, a national referendum was also held. According to results from Dhaka, 73 percent of voters supported reforms. The referendum asked voters to choose yes or no on proposed changes that will shape the country’s future political and constitutional framework, including wide-ranging constitutional reforms outlined in the July National Charter.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Tarique Rahman and BNP on their electoral victory and praised the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of elections. The prime minister expressed Pakistan’s desire to work closely with Bangladesh’s new leadership to further strengthen historic, fraternal, and multidimensional bilateral relations and to promote peace, stability, and development in South Asia and beyond.
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