• Source:JND
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Bangladesh Election Results: The initial data from the counting of votes showed that Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took a decisive lead over the closest rival, Shafiqur Rahman's Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, on Thursday. The actual results of the elections, which are set to be historic as they will decide the fate of turbulent-hit country, will come out in the next few hours. The election saw a direct contest between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League.

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Earlier in the day, Bangladeshis cast ballots in the crucial general elections to elect a new government to replace the interim administration, which took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024. The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform package, known as the July National Charter.

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Here Are The Key Highlights From The Crucial Bangladesh Elections:

  • Tarique Rahman, who is seen as the tallest politician in the current political scenario, won both Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6 constituencies, reported Dhaka Tribune. Tarique, the prime ministerial candidate of BNP, said he was "confident" his party would regain power after over 15 years of political wilderness, but demanded the results be timely released.
  • The BNP was leading in 50 seats, while Jamaat in 18 as the voting continued.
  • Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina claimed that people have rejected the general election held months after her removal from the government. She expressed her gratitude to all citizens, including minority communities, for reportedly rejecting the polls.
  • BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said that his party's victory is "inevitable and clear".
  • Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said around 48 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 2 pm nationwide, state-run BSS news agency reported.
  • According to media reports, the voting concluded at 4 pm across 299 constituencies with a voter turnout of 47.91%.
  • Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus thanked people for their participation in the general elections and the referendum. "I call upon political parties and candidates to uphold democratic decency, tolerance and mutual respect even after the final results are announced. Differences of opinion will exist, but in the national interest, we must remain united," he said.
  • Top leaders of both BNP and Jamaat raised fears of manipulation and said that they will accept the results of the elections if they are held in a "free, fair, impartial manner."
  • The Jamaat, heading an 11-party alliance, has described the voting as "excellent," expressing hope that it would secure a "landslide victory".
  • The Jamaat, which was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan, hopes to form the first Islamist-led government in constitutionally secular Bangladesh under its 67-year-old chief Shafiqur Rahman.
  • The Election Commission made elaborate security arrangements for the elections, deploying nearly 1 million security personnel -- the largest-ever in the country's electoral history. Nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel were deployed to enforce the security vigil to prevent violence and maintain order during the voting.

(With agencies inputs)


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