Landslide Win: BNP Secures 209 Seats, Tarique Rahman Set to Be PM

The political exile of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) appears to have ended, as a wave of change sweeps across Bangladesh. After 17 years, the BNP has staged a dramatic return to power. In the general election results, the party secured a landslide victory, winning 209 out of 299 seats — comfortably crossing the majority mark of 150. BNP chief Tarique Rahman is now set to become Prime Minister and may take oath on February 14 or 17, according to his advisor. His sweeping mandate has overshadowed Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, which managed to win only 69 seats. Meanwhile, Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, termed the elections “rigged” and did not participate — a factor widely seen as benefiting the BNP. Many Awami supporters reportedly voted for BNP to prevent Jamaat from gaining power. Observers note that women, youth, and Hindu voters played a decisive role, favoring the comparatively moderate BNP over Jamaat’s hardline image. With counting nearly complete and official confirmation awaited, Bangladesh now appears poised for a historic political transition under Tarique Rahman’s leadership.