Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami concedes defeat in election

DHAKA (AFP): Bangladesh’s largest party Jamaat-e-Islami said Saturday it had accepted the “overall outcome” of the election won by the rival nationalist party, despite earlier having alleged problems with the vote count.

The elections on Thursday were the first since the deadly 2024 uprising, and Election Commission figures showed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had won a landslide victory.

Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman, 67, had said on Friday he would “seek redress” from the commission, with his party alleging “inconsistencies and fabrications”.

But on Saturday, he conceded defeat.

“In any genuine democratic journey, the true test of leadership is not only how we campaign, but how we respond to the verdict of the people,” Rahman said in a statement.

“We recognise the overall outcome, and we respect the rule of law.”

Interim leader Muhammad Yunus congratulated BNP leader Tarique Rahman on “the landslide victory of his party” as he prepared to step down and hand over power to the elected government.

The 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has led Bangladesh as its “chief adviser” since the August 2024 uprising, said in a statement that Tarique Rahman “would help guide the country toward stability, inclusiveness, and development”.

The BNP alliance won 212 seats compared with 77 for the Jamaat-led alliance, according to the Electoral Commission.

Shafiqur Rahman said Jamaat would take part in parliament.

“We will serve as a vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition, holding the government to account,” he said.

“Our commitment to principled, peaceful politics remains unshaken.”

He noted the huge leap in seats the Jamaat-e-Islami had won compared to past elections – including when they were crushed under the autocratic tenure of ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

“Our movement has never been about a single election. It is about strengthening democratic culture, protecting citizens’ rights, and building a just and accountable state,” Jamaat’s Rahman added.

“With 77 seats, we have nearly quadrupled our parliamentary presence and become one of the strongest opposition blocs in modern Bangladeshi politics. That is not a setback. That is a foundation.”