Bangladesh Elections 2026 LIVE: Counting on, Tarique Rahman leads, Jamaat-NCP bag seats, and other key developments

Jamaat bags first seat, Hasnat wins from Cumilla

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has unofficially won the Kurigram-4 seat, with Mustafizur Rahman emerging as the winning candidate, as reported by Desh Rupantor. According to unofficial results, NCP candidate Hasnat Abdullah has been elected by a commanding margin, securing 1,72,000 votes. His closest rival, Jasimuddin, who boycotted the polls alleging election fraud, received 26,000 votes.

Tarique Rahman leading from both constituencies

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is also currently leading in both constituencies he contested, according to The Business Standard. He has so far secured 60,215 votes in Dhaka-17 and 37,465 votes in Bogura-6.

Bangladesh Elections Counting LIVE Update

Nitai Roy Chowdhury, a Hindu candidate, is leading in Magura-2, while Independent candidate Dharmajyoti Chakma is ahead in Khagrachhari.

Voting ends, counting begins; 47.91% voter turnout recorded

Voting for the 13th national elections in Bangladesh finished at 4:30 pm, Bangladesh local time. Vote counting began after polling finished in 299 constituencies on Thursday. The voter turnout was 47.91 per cent at 2 pm, according to Hindustan Times, which cited officials from the poll body.

Five people arrested in Munshiganj blast

Five people have reportedly been detained after a crude bomb blast at a polling station in Munshiganj. Bangladesh Army officials confirmed the arrests, according to the Daily Star.

Over 6.5 lakh postal votes in under app-based system, says Bangladesh EC

More than six lakh postal ballots had been received by 2 pm on Thursday, the Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) said. According to a report by Prothom Alo, around 6.5 lakh app-based ballots submitted through the Postal Vote BD system had reached returning officers by the afternoon.

BNP leader dies at polling station in Khulna

A Khulna metropolitan BNP leader, Mohibuzzaman Kochi (60), died after going to a polling station in Khulna. Mohibuzzaman Kochi was a former office secretary of the Khulna Metropolitan BNP, Prothom Alo reported. According to the BNP, Kochi had gone to the Khulna Alia Madrasa polling centre in the morning to cast his vote. The party alleged that when he objected to canvassing inside the centre, members of the rival Jamaat pushed him to the ground. He reportedly hit his head after falling. He was taken to a hospital, where a doctor declared him dead, according to Prothom Alo.

Voter turnout at 32.88% nationwide at noon, says Bangladesh Election Commission

Voter turnout across Bangladesh stood at 32.88% as of 12 pm (BDT), according to the Bangladesh Election Commission. Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the data was compiled from 32,789 polling centres nationwide, reported the Bengali daily Prothom Alo.

Taslima Nasreen raises concern over Jamaat’s growing role in Bangladesh politics

Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who has been in exile since 1994, has voiced concern over the growing influence of Jamaat-e-Islami, urging a return to secular political forces in the country. In a post on X, Nasreen wrote, "If the BNP wins, Jamaat-e-Islami will become the main opposition for the first time in Bangladesh’s history. This happens only because the Awami League has been banned," and that "I hope the elected government unbans the Awami League, so that the opposition comes from secular or left-leaning parties, not a religious one."

Crude bomb blast reported at Munshiganj polling station

A crude bomb blast at a polling station in Munshiganj on Thursday morning sparked panic among voters and triggered a chase between supporters of two competing candidates. The incident occurred at Makhati Gurucharan High School in Munshiganj Sadar upazila around 10 am, according to a report by The Daily Star. Officer-in-Charge of Sadar Police Station, Md Mominul Islam, confirmed that a clash broke out between the rival groups shortly after the explosion. However, he said it was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured in the incident.

Bangladesh Army Chief urges voters to cast votes without fear

Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said he had been waiting for 1.5 years for a fair election. "Today, the election is underway. A congenial atmosphere for voting is prevailing. I have received information from across the country, and as per my reports, voting is going on peacefully everywhere," he said after casting his vote, The Daily Star reported. "I urge all voters to go to polling centres and cast their votes without fear. Today is a very important day for us," he added.

BSF on high alert in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri as polling continues in Bangladesh

The Border Security Force (BSF) is on high alert at the Fulbari Integrated Check Post (ICP) along the India-Bangladesh border in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, amid the 13th Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.

Crude bomb charged in Gopalganj

A crude bomb (cocktail) was thrown at a polling station in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila during voting. Three people, including two Ansar members, were injured in the incident. The attack took place at around 9:30 AM on Thursday at the Reshma International School polling centre in Gopalganj Sadar, Prothom Alo reported. Gopalganj is erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's home turf. Sub-Inspector (SI) Zahidul Islam, who was on duty at the centre said, "Voting had been proceeding peacefully since morning. At that time, miscreants threw a crude bomb from across the canal outside the centre. In the explosion, two on-duty Ansar members and a child who had accompanied a voter were injured," according to Prothom Alo.

What do opinion polls suggest for Yunus?

Pre-poll surveys indicate a close fight primarily between the BNP and Jamaat, with other parties drawing limited support. Jamaat is gaining traction among younger and more educated voters, whereas the BNP is consolidating its base among working-age citizens, farmers and labourers. The National Citizen Party, born out of the 2024 student uprising, has aligned with Jamaat in an 11-party coalition aimed at challenging dynastic politics. With voters aged 18 to 37 years accounting for 44 per cent of the electorate, the youth vote is expected to be decisive. Read the full story.

Dhaka-9 candidate Tasnim Jara alleges harassment of female polling agents

Independent candidate Tasnim Jara has alleged harassment of female polling agents at multiple centres in the Dhaka-9 constituency. On Thursday (February 12) morning, she visited the polling station at Khilgaon Model College in Dhaka, after which she made the allegations. Jara claimed that her polling agents were being obstructed from entering several centres. As per The Daily Star report, She said, “My polling agents are being prevented from entering centres or are being forced out using various made-up excuses. Some are being told, ‘You are not a voter here,’ even though there is no rule requiring a polling agent to be a voter of that particular constituency.”

Low voter turnout reported in Sheikh Hasina's stronghold Gopalganj

There are very few voters at polling stations in Gopalganj, a former Awami League stronghold. Gopalganj is the birthplace of Bangladesh's former leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his daughter, the ousted former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. According to the BBC, the district has about a million voters. Polling agents hope for a turnout of around 50 per cent. However, only a small number of people had arrived when polling centres were visited this morning, the BBC reported.

Cash-for-vote allegations trigger BNP–Jamaat clash in Bagerhat

Tensions flared in Bangladesh’s Bagerhat Sadar upazila after allegations of money being distributed among voters triggered a clash between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and workers. The incident took place around 10 pm on Wednesday in the Baruipara area Jamaat leaders and activists alleged that BNP members had gone out to distribute cash to voters. At least six people were injured in the clash between the two sides.

Jamaat makes history with Hindu candidate in 13th national election

In a first in its history, the Jamaat-e-Islami party has nominated a Hindu candidate. Krishna Nandi is running as the party’s candidate from the Khulna-1 Constituency in the 13th national election. In this Hindu-majority seat, Jamaat has chosen Nandi, who leads the Dumuria unit of the party’s Hindu committee.

Clashes reported between Jamaat and BNP supporters

According to media reports, clashes have been reported between Jamaat and BNP supporters in the Mirpur-10 Constituency in Dhaka, the seat from which Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman is contesting.

Tarique Rahman casts his vote

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, candidate from Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6, cast his vote at Gulshan Model School and College centre in Dhaka, The Daily Star reported. He said, "We will prioritise improving law and order in the country so that people feel secure if we can form the government."

Shafiqur Rahman urges unity after casting vote

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman cast his vote at a polling booth in Dhaka and called for collective nation-building. “We must build the country together. If the vote is conducted in a free and fair manner, everyone must accept the outcome. That is the beauty of democracy,” he said.

Hindu man’s body found tied ahead of Bangladesh polls

The bloodied body of a 28-year-old Hindu man was discovered in Bangladesh’s Moulvi Bazar district on Wednesday, just ahead of the general election. The deceased has been identified as Ratan Sahakar, who worked at a tea garden in the Champa area. His body was found on Wednesday morning, a day before voting. Initial reports indicate that he had sustained severe injuries on multiple parts of his body. He was recovered with his hands and legs tied. Colleagues of the victim have alleged that the killing was premeditated. Police said an investigation has been initiated to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Poll timings, voters, parties and results

More than 42,000 polling stations have been set up across the country. Security forces are deployed nationwide to ensure peaceful voting. Counting will begin immediately after polling ends. Official results are expected on February 13. The outcome will cover both the Parliamentary election and the constitutional referendum. Bangladesh has 12.77 crore registered voters. Around 6.48 crore are men, 6.28 crore are women, and about 1,220 are third-gender voters, according to The Sunday Guardian. For the first time, postal voting has been introduced for overseas workers. The country follows the first-past-the-post system. Voters choose one candidate in their constituency. The candidate with the highest votes wins. Of the 350 seats in Parliament, 300 are directly elected. Read the full story here.

Which constituency has the highest number of voters?

According to media reports, Gazipur-2 has the highest number of voters in the 13th national Parliamentary election, with 804,333 registered to vote. In comparison, Jhalakathi-1 has the lowest number, with 228,431 registered voters, according to media reports.

'Only 109 women among over 2,000 candidates' in Bangladesh polls

Although over 2,000 candidates are running in today's election, only 109 of them are women, according to Al Jazeera. Political parties nominated 72 of the candidates, while the rest are Independents. About 30 out of 51 parties did not nominate a single woman, as reported by Al Jazeera. In January, Bangladesh's Women's Political Rights Forum criticised this exclusion and called for political parties to be held responsible for not meeting the five per cent women candidate quota set by the national charter they signed in July of last year.

How India, China and Pakistan view the high-stakes vote

Until the fall of Hasina, India had a significant perception of Bangladesh as an important strategic partner and ally in the context of ensuring security in South Asia. India is also the biggest trading partner of Bangladesh in Asia. During the period from April 2023 to March 2024, until the fall of Hasina, India supplied goods such as textiles, tea, coffee, auto parts, electricity, agriculture, iron and steel, and plastics to Bangladesh to the tune of $11.1 billion and imported readymade garments, leather, and leather products, among other commodities, to the value of $1.8 billion. Read the full story here.

Voting commences in Bangladesh’s crucial election

Voting has officially started in Bangladesh’s national election. Polling takes place from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm local time. This is the first election since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster and Khaleda Zia's death. The poll is also being viewed as the first real contest in the country since 2009, even though Hasina’s Awami League cannot participate after the Election Commission revoked its registration. More than 127 million people can vote in a country of nearly 170 million. A total of 1,981 candidates are competing for seats in the Parliament across the nation. An interim government leads the process, headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who has promised free, fair and peaceful elections.