Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a historic legislative election.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party easily gained 185 seats in Bangladesh’s 300-member parliament, above the halfway mark required for a simple majority.

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a historic parliamentary election on Friday (Feb 13), according to local TV stations, as ballots were counted into the night in a crucial vote expected to restore political stability.

Bangladesh’s parliamentary election on Thursday was the first since the 2024 Gen Z-led insurrection that toppled long-term Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A clear conclusion was considered as vital for peace in the Muslim-majority nation of 175 million people after months of violent anti-Hasina rioting disrupted daily life and harmed important sectors, particularly the textile business in the world’s second largest exporter.

It was also the first national election undertaken in reaction to recent uprisings by persons under the age of 30 in the region. Nepal plans to hold a vote next month.

According to television broadcasters, the BNP gained 185 seats in the 300-member Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation, handily crossing the halfway point for a simple majority.

As the counting continued, BNP leaders expressed confidence in winning 200 seats and a two-thirds majority.”Certainly, the BNP is winning by a landslide,” said Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, a member of the BNP standing committee. “Winning two-thirds of the seats is called a landslide victory; I think we would cross the 200-seat limit.”

Tarique Rahman, 60, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman, is the BNP’s main contender for prime minister.

Its campaign promises included financial support for low-income families, a 10-year limit on an individual’s tenure as prime minister, economic stimulus measures such foreign investments, and anti-corruption legislation.