Bangladesh Vote Count Begins: BNP Edges Ahead in Key Test

Early Trends by Midnight, Results by Friday

Election Commission officials said early trends were expected around midnight and results are likely to be clear by Friday morning (February 13, 2026).
The rivalry between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami led by former comrades, ‌the only alliance of sorts in the contest, draws out from opinion polls which have given the ‌BNP the upper hand. 

Yunus Praises Orderly Polls and Voter Turnout

As polls drew near the end of their final phase, chief adviser to Bangladesh interim government Muhammad Yunus congratulated the country for a peaceful and orderly end of the polls and referendum.
In a statement issued after the final vote, Mr. Yunus praised the voters for their eager response, the parties for their responsible way of behavior, the candidates for showing restraint and the institutions for their professionalism. 

Awami League's Boat Symbol Absent After Hasina Ouster

The boat, the Awami League’s electoral symbol, will be absent from the ballot paper in Bangladesh’s landmark general election -- for the first time in three decades.
The vote is the first since the ousting of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid huge countrywide protests in August 2024. Awami League, one of the country’s oldest political parties, has boycotted parliamentary elections twice previously. But it cannot participate at all this time since its registration remains suspended. 

Referendum Risks Overhauling 1972 Constitution

Experts said Thursday that a referendum designed to gain public consent for a complex reform package of Muhammad Yunus’ Interim government could put the historic foundation of governance at risk and end the continuity of post-independent Bangladesh’s 1972 constitution.
The 13th parliamentary elections were also voted as well as a referendum in respect of a labyrinthine 84-point reform package. 

Single Question on Four Core Areas

The referendum requires people’s consent to the reform proposals, dubbed ‘July National Charter 2025,’ that Mr. Yunus was unveiled on October 17 after lengthy talks among the political parties and his own head, the National Consensus Commission.
The referendum ballot includes one question and covers four of the principal reform areas of the July Charter, and is designed to enable voters to vote ‘yes’ if they agree more strongly with the proposals and ‘no’ if they disagree.