Bangladesh's BNP Wins Two Thirds in Bangladesh Post Uprising Vote

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a two-thirds majority in Bangladesh election 2026, the country’s first national poll since a Gen Z-led uprising forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from office in 2024.

Official results showed the BNP securing 212 of the 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, well above the 151 required to form a government.

Voter turnout exceeded 60%, higher than participation recorded in the previous national poll. The election followed months of political unrest in Bangladesh after large student-led protests demanding employment opportunities, accountability, and electoral reforms led to Hasina’s departure and the installation of an interim administration.

• Bangladesh Nationalist Party secures two-thirds majority in landmark vote
• Tarique Rahman set to become Bangladesh’s next prime minister
• Post-uprising election reshapes Bangladesh politics after Hasina’s exit

BNP leader Tarique Rahman, who had lived abroad for years, is expected to become Bangladesh prime minister. In a statement, he pledged to restore economic stability, address inflation, and strengthen state institutions. The BNP campaigned on commitments to job creation, governance reforms, and changes to the electoral framework.

The Awami League, which governed for more than a decade under Hasina, did not contest the election following legal and administrative rulings that reshaped Bangladesh politics after the unrest. Its absence altered the electoral field.

The Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami emerged as the second-largest bloc, while the youth-backed National Citizen Party entered parliament with a limited presence.

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Alongside the parliamentary vote, citizens participated in a referendum on constitutional reforms, including limits on prime ministerial terms and judicial independence. While polling day passed without major violence, Hasina, speaking from India, rejected the outcome, indicating that post-election tensions may continue despite the transfer of power.