The leader of Bangladesh's Islamist party, Shafiqur Rahman, today recognized the victory of his rivals from the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) in the parliamentary elections, despite reporting numerous violations yesterday, Agence France-Presse reported.
"We recognize the results and respect the rule of law", the leader of "Jamaat-e-Islami" wrote in a message distributed on social networks.
Yesterday, the Election Commission announced that Tariq Rahman's BNP won 212 of the 300 seats in parliament, against only 77 for the Islamist-led coalition. Last night, Shafiqur Rahman told the media that the elections had been "manipulated" and "violations" in the vote count and announced that he would report it to the election commission.
"We have decided that all those who were deprived of their rights in hundreds of constituencies will demand a correction" of the results, he said, promising that it would not stop there.
His message, published a few hours later on social media, no longer mentioned these allegations.
"Your efforts were not in vain," Rahman said, addressing his supporters. "With 77 seats, we have almost quadrupled our parliamentary strength and become one of the most powerful opposition forces in Bangladesh's political history," he added.
"This is not a defeat, but a foundation," he stressed.
"We will be a vigilant, principled and peaceful opposition and hold the government accountable for its actions, contributing constructively to national progress," the Islamist leader assured.
For his part, the election commission spokesman, Md. Anwarul Islam Sarkar, rejected all allegations of massive fraud or irregularities.
"This was the best election" in recent years, he told AFP on Saturday, "if anyone still has objections, they can approach the court."
Today, the head of the interim Bangladesh's Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus congratulated NPP leader Tariq Rahman on his "conclusive victory" in parliamentary elections, making him the most likely next prime minister.
"As Rahman prepares to lead the government, his wisdom, democratic values and respect for the people will help him lead the country towards stability, inclusion and development," the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said in a statement.
The parliamentary elections were the first held in Bangladesh since the bloody uprisings led by the Zed youth in the summer of 2024 that led to the fall of the previous government.