Bangladesh Parliamentary Election: BNP takes early lead, Jamaat trails; Counting of votes underway

According to officials, both BNP and Jamaat are neck to neck in early trends as counting of votes for the 13th Bangladesh National Parliament Elections is underway.

Bangladesh Parliamentary Election: BNP takes early lead, Jamaat trails; Counting of votes underway

Composite image showing Tarique Rahman casting a ballot, Muhammad Yunus voting at a polling station, and security personnel deployed outside a centre during Bangladesh’s Parliamentary Election. | ANI

Voting for the high-stakes 13th Parliamentary Elections concluded on Thursday. The voting began at 7.30 am and continued till 4.30 pm. According to the Bangladeshi Election Commission, over 47 per cent of voter turnout was recorded till 2 pm. However, the final numbers are yet to be released.  The counting process began shortly after the voting concluded.

The polls were largely held peacefully except for isolated incidents of violence. A Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was killed in Khulna district, and injuries were reported in a separate incident in Gopalganj, according to local media. The incidents unfolded hours after polling began, even as authorities continued overseeing voting across 299 constituencies.

Advertisement

Both BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance have expressed confidence of victory. According to early trends, BNP has taken lead on 50 seats, while Jamaat-led alliance was ahead in 18 seats. The final results are likely to be out by Friday, February 13.

Advertisement

Advertisement