Tarique Rahman is likely to be sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister on Saturday, February 14, as his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won an overwhelming two-thirds majority in the 13th general election, according to news agency PTI.
The latest vote tallies in Bangladesh’s first truly competitive election in years gave the BNP and its allies at least 212 out of 299 seats, domestic television channels said. The opposition Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies won 70 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation.
The Election Commission pegged the BNP with 181 seats, the Jamaat-e-Islami with 61 and others with 7, with full official results not expected until midday on Friday.
The US embassy was quick to congratulate Rahman and the BNP on the “historic victory”, while neighboring India hailed his “decisive victory” – significant after recent turbulent relations with Dhaka.
No rally
The BNP, which is returning to power after 20 years, soon thanked the people and called for special prayers for the nation and its people on Friday, Daily Star reports.
“Despite the victory … by a wide margin, there will be no celebratory parade or rally,” BNP chairman Saleh Shibly’s press secretary said in a statement.
Jamaat screams foul
The BNP’s main rival Jamaat-e-Islami – the largest Islamist party leading the wider coalition – said it had “serious questions about the integrity of the results process”.