Bangladesh Nationalist Party sweeps to victory in first election since Gen Z uprising

13-Feb-2026

.

The centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has secured a landslide majority in parliament, 18 months after mass protests ousted the country's longest serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The party took more than two-thirds of seats in the historic general election, with Jamaat, the country's main Islamist party, coming second. Hasina's Awami League was banned from taking part.

BNP leader Tarique Rahman is set to be the next prime minister and faces huge challenges in getting the economy back on its feet and restoring democracy after 15 years of authoritarian rule under Hasina.

Voters also backed sweeping democratic reforms in a referendum held alongside the election on February 12.