Bangladesh elections: Will Tarique Rahman become next PM? Early trends claim BNP leader will take Dhaka

Bangladesh National Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman and his allies on Thursday locked down the Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies, early poll trends say.

These early gains have pushed the BNP to the top of the 2026 election fray with 131 seats, followed by the Jamaat-e-Islami at 30 seats. The parties now need 151 out of 300 seats to form a simple majority in the Jatiya Sangsad, Bangladesh's parliament.

Specifically, the BNP currently leads in constituencies such as Cox's Bazar-1, Sunamganj-1, Tangail-7, and Jhenaidah-1, in addition to making major inroads in the Bogura district—where it leads in all seven constituencies—as well as the Netrokona district, where it leads in five out of six constituencies, with the last one secured by the Jamaat, as per a Dhaka Tribune report.

The BNP has also managed to secure almost twice as many votes as the Jamaat in some constituencies.

Polling began at 7:30 AM on Thursday and ended at 4:30 PM, with reports saying that a voter turnout of 47.91 per cent was recorded as of 2 PM. The state Election Commission is expected to formally announce the results by Friday morning.

The elections also saw certain issues, such as the alleged assault of Habiba Begum, an independent female candidate, in the Rajshahi-3 constituency; Gono Odhikar Parishad candidate M. Jasim Uddin's boycott of the polls after alleging irregularities; and the withdrawal of four officials in Mymensingh and Naogaon for similar reasons.

Meanwhile, BNP supporters could be seen celebrating the early trends in various areas as their party chairman Rahman, who is also the son of the late Khaleda Zia, has taken an early lead after returning in December 2025 from a self-imposed exile of nearly 17 years.

The nationwide elections come amid a state of tumult in the country over the death of Sharif Osman Hadi—and the numerous minority killings that followed—which has put pressure on the interim government headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

Yunus has already said that he intended to hand over the reins to the next government, of which he had no interest in joining.

The main contest, then, is between the BNP and the Jamaat—former allies who now lead competing alliances. 

Despite the Awami League's Sheikh Hasina being banned from contesting the elections after her ouster in 2024, it is being perceived as the nation's first chance at democracy in a long time.

Hasina, meanwhile, has cried foul against the elections, calling them a "well-planned farce" in an X post from the Awami League.

"The people’s voting rights, democratic values, and the spirit of the Constitution were completely disregarded in this deceptive, voter-less election conducted without the Awami League ... Additionally, abnormal increases in voter numbers were observed in voter lists, especially in Dhaka city, which raises serious questions and is highly suspicious," the post read.

Her party has also cried foul against the polls, calling for fresh ones under a neutral caretaker government after Yunus's resignation.