Bangladesh Nationalist Party Says It Will Form Government By Sunday
DHAKA/ISTANBUL, Feb 14 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said it would form a new government by Sunday, after winning the first elections since the July 2024 uprising that ousted the government of long-time rival Awami League, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
"The government will be formed by Feb 15. The BNP will go to parliament with all parties," the party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters on Friday while visiting his constituency in the north-western Thakurgaon district.
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is likely the party's prime ministerial candidate. He became the party head after the death of his mother and Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, in December.
“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, which will be implemented step by step,” he added.
Alongside the general election, the country also voted for a referendum on the “July Charter”, adopted last October, for constitutional reforms, which received overwhelming backing from the people.
The charter has more than 80 proposals aimed at overhauling governance, including term limits for the prime minister, expanded presidential powers, protecting judicial independence, increasing women’s representation, and broader fundamental rights.
According to the Constitution, a party needs 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament to form a government. The BNP and its allies secured 212 seats in Thursday's vote. Its main competitor, the bloc led by Jamaat-e-Islami, won 77 seats.
While elections on three seats were postponed, eight other seats were bagged by independents and smaller parties.
More than 127.6 million people were eligible to cast ballots, and the country recorded a voter turnout of 59.44 per cent, up from 41.8 per cent in the January 2024 elections. Those polls were boycotted by the BNP-Jamaat opposition under the ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.
Separately, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters in Dhaka that the incoming government will formally request India to extradite fugitive Hasina, who is facing the death penalty at home for ordering a crackdown on protests that killed at least 1,400 people, according to the UN.
"We will demand her (Hasina's) 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," he said.
In November, a court in Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death, in absentia, over crimes against humanity charges committed during the July 2024 uprising that ousted her government.
The interim government under Muhammad Yunus also requested Hasina's extradition multiple times.
One political activist was allegedly beaten to death in the central Munshiganj district on Friday, while the Jamaat party and its allies alleged that many of their supporters and properties were being attacked as the BNP was celebrating the election victory.
At least 10 people have been killed since Election Day due to various reasons.
Munshiganj Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mominul Islam said one person was beaten to death due to past enmity and election conflict.
“A drive is underway to arrest the accused,” he told the Prothom Alo newspaper. Notably, the BNP urged against celebrations.
Separately, Jamaat officials warned of “tougher action” if alleged irregularities in elections were not addressed by the Election Commission.
The party, which won 77 seats along with its 10 allies, alleged that the banned Awami League party was being rehabilitated in Bangladeshi politics.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
