Bangladesh Election Results 2026 Highlights: BNP official says party will seek extradition of Hasina; Modi congratulates Tarique Rahman in phone call

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has won 204 seats, taking it past the two-thirds majority in Parliament. Its main rival, Jamaat-e-Islami, has secured 76 seats.

With the election behind it, the BNP now faces the tough job of reviving Bangladesh’s economy. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Bangladesh was among the fastest-growing economies in Asia, writes BBC. Experts had predicted it would soon move ahead of several larger developing countries in the region.

However, the pandemic badly affected key export sectors, slowing down growth, the BBC reported. Later, political unrest following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 further hurt investor confidence. Ongoing instability reduced business activity and slowed new investments.

The new government takes charge at a difficult time. Inflation is at 8.5%, the highest in South Asia, making daily life more expensive for ordinary people. Rising prices have been a major concern for voters.

At the same time, US trade measures have added pressure on the garment sector, which makes up about 80% of the country’s exports. Former US President Donald Trump had first imposed a 37% tariff on goods from Bangladesh. The rate was gradually reduced and was brought down to 19% this week under a new trade agreement.

The Bangladesh Election Commission has said that 59.44% of eligible voters cast their ballots in yesterday’s election.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has recorded strong wins in major districts such as Dhaka, Barisal and Tangail.

In Tangail, the party secured seven of the eight seats. In Dhaka district, it won all five seats, showing a clear lead in the capital region.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasir Uddin said the national election was fair and trustworthy. He stated that the commission had conducted the vote in a festive and fully impartial manner, and that it had received wide recognition. He also thanked voters, political parties and members of the media for their support and cooperation.

He added that the election was completed with backing from most stakeholders. However, supporters of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, which was barred from taking part, had called for a boycott.

VIDEO | Bangladesh Elections 2026: Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP's polls coordination committee chief on PM Modi's congratulatory message BNP chief Tarique Rahman, says , "We also on behalf of our party thank him and we believe that under the leadership of our leader Tarique Rahman,… pic.twitter.com/ePNTIFLlxa

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 13, 2026

The election result marks a major comeback for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its leader Tarique Rahman, who is now set to become Bangladesh’s next prime minister.

Just two years ago, the situation was very different. Rahman was living in London by choice, while many BNP leaders and workers were jailed during Sheikh Hasina’s government.

Rahman’s political journey has been full of challenges. He was arrested in 2007 on corruption charges and moved to London the following year. He was later given a life sentence in his absence over an earlier attack on a rally linked to Hasina. Rahman has always said the cases against him were politically driven. After Hasina was removed from power in 2024, several cases and convictions against him were overturned, clearing the way for his return to Bangladesh.

Rahman comes from a powerful political family. His father, Ziaur Rahman, played a key role in Bangladesh’s independence movement and later became president before he was assassinated in 1981.

His mother, Khaleda Zia, served as prime minister three times. She too faced arrest and spent time in prison during the rule of Hasina’s Awami League government. Zia had planned to contest this election, but she passed away in December, just days after her son returned home from London.

Tarique Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has now won 151 of the 300 seats in Parliament, giving it the numbers required to form the next government. Jamaat-e-Islami is in second place, with 46 seats.

Newspapers in Dhaka are filled with excitement after the country’s historic election. The Daily Star says the BNP is heading for a big win and describes it as a thumping victory in the 13th national election, with festive scenes and large crowds of voters finally casting ballots many had long waited for. New Age calls the result a landslide victory. Prothom Alo leads with the headline: “BNP on the path to certain victory.”

However, along with the celebrations, there are concerns. In The Daily Star, commentator Altaf Parvez writes that the new government’s first major challenge will be bringing back law and order.

He says reforms will not succeed unless the mob violence seen over the past 18 months is brought under control. He adds that women and minority communities have suffered the most, social unity has weakened, and there are worrying signs of rising armed extremism.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman has won the Dhaka-15 seat, even though the party did not perform well overall in the elections, according to Daily Star.