Bangladesh invites South Asian foreign ministers for new government ceremony

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will administer oaths to 297 newly elected lawmakers, while the president will swear in Cabinet members at a ceremony held in front of the parliament building. Following tradition, foreign ministers from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member states—including Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—have been invited to witness the historic occasion.

BNP secures landslide victory to form government

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) emerged victorious in Thursday's elections, securing 209 seats in the 300-seat parliament—a two-thirds majority. With 49.97% of the popular vote, party leader Tarique Rahman is set to become prime minister. The Jamaat-e-Islami party-led alliance secured 77 seats with 31.76% of the vote, while the National Citizen Party (NCP), the youth movement that spearheaded the 2024 uprising, garnered 3.5%. Voter turnout reached 59.44%, significantly higher than the 41.8% recorded in January 2024 elections.

Jamaat alleges irregularities, plans protests

Despite accepting the overall results, the Jamaat alliance has raised concerns about electoral irregularities. Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad announced Sunday that the party is seeking recounts in 32 constituencies over alleged counting manipulation. "There is a demand for revaluation in 32 seats. We will follow the legal process," Azad stated, while announcing plans for peaceful protests Monday. He affirmed the alliance's commitment to parliamentary participation, saying, "We will take the oaths of office, go to parliament, and play a constructive role."

Post-election political outreach and constitutional reform

In a gesture of political reconciliation, incoming Prime Minister Rahman visited Jamaat Ameer chief Shafiqur Rahman at his Dhaka residence Sunday, with both parties' top leadership discussing post-election developments. Rahman is scheduled to hold similar talks with NCP chief Nahid Islam, a key figure of the 2024 uprising. Meanwhile, Thursday's concurrent referendum on constitutional reforms passed with over 60% approval. Results from three seats remain pending—two due to court orders and one following a candidate's death—as Bangladesh prepares for its first democratic transition since the historic 2024 protests that reshaped the nation's political landscape.