DHAKA

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday claimed victory in general elections, even as its main competitor, Jamaat-e-Islami, raised questions about the counting process.

Bangladesh held general elections on Thursday, the first since the 2024 popular uprising that ousted the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Election authorities have not declared the official results of the polls held to elect the new 300-seat parliament.

“The BNP won a two-thirds majority in the election,” the party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters on Friday.

The party said it was “elected in a large number of seats in the 13th National Parliament election,” according to a statement on the US social media company Facebook.

It, however, urged against celebrations over the win.

Hasina’s Awami League party was barred from elections.

However, the Jamaat-e-Islami party-led bloc stated on Friday that it was "dissatisfied" with the counting of votes and threatened to protest if the irregularities were not addressed.

According to local broadcaster Channel24 TV, the BNP led with 212 seats, while the Jamaat-led bloc secured 76.

According to the Bangladesh Election Commission, voter turnout on Thursday was 59.44%, up from 41.8% in the January 2024 elections under Hasina's government, which the BNP-Jamaat opposition boycotted.

​​​​​​​More than 127.6 million people were eligible to vote in the election, which also included a referendum on constitutional reforms.

The election was largely peaceful, with at least nine deaths recorded due to various reasons.

Following victory claims, India, Malaysia, and Pakistan congratulated Tarique Rahman, the BNP leader.