Dhaka, February 14: The results of Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections have been announced, revealing a decisive victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In a surprising turn of events, 41 political parties failed to secure a single seat in the elections.
According to the Dhaka Tribune, voting took place on Thursday from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM across 299 of the 300 parliamentary seats. This election marked the first instance of a national referendum being conducted simultaneously. Out of 59 registered political parties, 50 participated in the elections.
The report indicates that only nine parties managed to win seats in parliament. The remaining 41 parties, despite fielding numerous candidates in various constituencies, ended up empty-handed.
The BNP emerged victorious with 212 seats, while the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, in coalition with 11 allied parties, secured 77 seats. The National Citizen Party (NCP) won six seats.
Political analysts noted that the results reflect a significant polarization around major alliances, coalition-based electoral strategies, and tactical voting, leaving little room for smaller and newer parties to gain traction.
Several parties that previously held influence in parliament failed to win any seats. Notably, the Jatiya Party (JP), which had long been dominant in certain areas like Rangpur and Kurigram, could not secure representation. In Kurigram, traditionally considered a stronghold, JP candidates contested all four seats but lost each one. Additionally, three candidates lost their deposits.
According to election commission rules, candidates must receive at least one-eighth of the total valid votes cast in their constituency to retain their deposit. Each candidate is required to pay a nomination fee of 50,000 taka when submitting their nomination papers.
The BNP and its allies collectively won 212 seats, with the BNP alone taking 209. The Gonosanghati Andolon received one seat, as did the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) and the Gono Adhikar Parishad (GAP). Other coalition partners, including the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh and the Revolutionary Workers Party, did not win any seats.
Meanwhile, the Jamaat-led coalition secured a total of 77 seats, with Jamaat-e-Islami winning 68 seats, the NCP six, the Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis two, and the Khilafat Majlis one seat.
However, many parties within the Jamaat-led block, including the Bangladesh Khilafat Movement, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Bangladesh Development Party, JAGPA, and Bangladesh Labour Party, did not win any seats.
