Bangladesh's Nationalist Party to Form Government Sunday
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and coalition partners captured 212 seats in the 300-member legislature, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced Friday during a constituency visit to Thakurgaon district in the country's northwest.
"The government will be formed by Feb. 15. The BNP will go to parliament with all parties," Alamgir told reporters.
Tarique Rahman, who assumed party leadership following the December death of his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is expected to become the nation's next premier. The 151-seat threshold required for government formation was decisively surpassed as the opposition bloc dominated the electoral landscape.
Alamgir reinforced the party's commitment to its campaign platform: "It will be the BNP's government. And BNP will implement its election promises and manifesto, as well as the issues that BNP signed in the July Charter on reforms will be implemented step by step."
The Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance secured 77 seats, while independents and minor parties claimed eight positions. Three constituencies have postponed voting.
Voter participation surged to 59.44% among the 127.6 million eligible citizens—a dramatic increase from January 2024's 41.8% turnout when BNP-Jamaat boycotted elections under Sheikh Hasina's administration.
Citizens simultaneously approved the "July Charter" referendum on constitutional reforms through overwhelming margins. Adopted last October, the charter contains over 80 governance overhaul proposals encompassing prime ministerial term limits, enhanced presidential authority, judicial independence protections, expanded women's participation, and strengthened fundamental rights.
Hasina Extradition Push Intensifies
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed revealed in Dhaka that the incoming government will formally pursue Hasina's extradition from India, where she fled following her ouster.
"We will demand her (Hasina) extradition as per the law. This is a matter for the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry and the Indian External Affairs Ministry. We will demand from the Indian government that she be sent back to face trial," Ahmed stated.
The fugitive ex-premier faces death sentences handed down in November by Bangladesh courts for crimes against humanity linked to the July 2024 crackdown that killed at least 1,400 protesters, according to UN figures. Muhammad Yunus's interim government previously submitted multiple extradition requests that remain unfulfilled.
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