Millions of Bangladeshis are awaiting the outcome of Thursday’s general elections — the first since the 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina in a popular uprising — as vote counting continues nationwide.
The BNP-led alliance and the Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition are the main contenders in the race, with Hasina’s Awami League barred from participating.
How does it work
The counting of ballots in 299 constituencies began soon after polls closed.
Voting was postponed on one seat, as a candidate died shortly before the election.
Meanwhile, the results page on Bangladesh’s Election Commission (BEC) website remained inaccessible as counting continued nationwide.
The official counting process is time-consuming. Results are initially documented on paper at each polling station, signed by election officials and candidate representatives, and publicly displayed.
The records are then securely transported to the constituency returning officer, usually the district deputy commissioner, who compiles returns from all polling centres, includes valid postal ballots, and uploads the combined figures to the Election Commission’s system.
The Election Commission headquarters subsequently consolidates the data and releases nationwide updates.
Unofficial claims
The chief of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party has said that his party would not do "politics of opposition" for the sake of it.
"We will do positive politics." Shafiqur Rahman told reporters.
While the election commission did not confirm the results, according to broadcaster Jamuna TV, BNP was leading with 78 seats against the Jamaat-led bloc's 23 seats.
Jamaat, meanwhile, claimed it was leading with 75 seats, while the BNP was ahead with 74, according to a statement on Facebook.
Another private broadcaster, Somoy TV, said the BNP was leading with 69 seats, while Jamaat was trailing with 38 seats.
A clearer picture of the results is expected later in the night.
The voting took place between 0130 GMT and 1030 GMT.
More than 127.6 million people were eligible to vote in the election, which also included a referendum on constitutional reforms. The polls were largely peaceful.
The voter turnout is expected to hit 60 percent, higher than the January 2024 elections, which were won by Hasina's Awami League but boycotted by the BNP-Jamaat opposition.
Election authorities also received 1.14 million postal ballots, including 495,551 votes cast by expats living outside the South Asian nation.
A total of 51 political parties and 2,034 candidates ran for parliamentary seats, including 275 independents.
While 300 lawmakers are directly elected, 50 seats are reserved for women.
