Bangladesh election: BJP bags 1 seat in parliamentary polls, but there's a twist

The outcome saw Bangladesh hand a clear mandate to the BNP under the leadership of Tarique Rahman

In the recently concluded Bangladesh polls, the BJP has won a seat. While the acronym may seem similar, it is not Bharatiya Janata Party but the Bangladesh Jatiya Party which has secured a seat.

In Bangladesh’s 13th general elections, the Bangladesh Jatiya Party won one seat, with Andaleeve Rahman Partho emerging victorious from the Bhola-1 constituency.

According to results announced by the Election Commission (EC) for 297 seats, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies secured 212 seats, with the BNP alone winning 209. Among its partners, Ganosamhati Andolan, the Bangladesh Jatiya Party, and Gono Odhikar Parishad bagged one seat each.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies claimed 77 seats. As per the latest EC data released on Friday, Jamaat won 68 seats, while the National Citizen Party (NCP) secured six.

Partho secured 1,05,543 votes, comfortably defeating his nearest rival from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Md Nazrul Islam, who polled 75,337 votes.

Bangladesh election

The elections, held on February 12, were the first since the 2024 student-driven “Gen-Z” uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government, prompting her to take refuge in India.

After weeks of protests and unrest, the interim government under Muhammad Yunus outlawed activities of the Awami League. This was followed by the Bangladesh Election Commission suspending the party’s registration, effectively keeping it out of the race.

The outcome saw Bangladesh hand a clear mandate to the BNP under the leadership of Tarique Rahman.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Rahman and congratulated him on BNP's spectacular victory. "Delighted to speak with Mr. Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections," PM Modi said on social media.

"I conveyed my best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India's continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples," he said.