In the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election held on February 12, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a landslide victory, with a complete sweep of seats in 21 of the 64 districts. BNP's rival, Jamaat-e-Islami, consolidated its position regionally in two divisions - Khulna and Rangpur, while BNP set its stronghold in six divisions.
Winning 212 seats out of 297, BNP secured 71.38 percent of the constituencies, while the Jamaat-led alliance won 77 seats, accounting for 25.92 percent of the constituencies. Independents won seven seats at 2.36 percent, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh one seat at 0.34 percent.
According to the Election Commission, BNP secured 49.97 percent of the votes, Jamaat-e-Islami 31.76 percent, NCP 3.08 percent, Khelafat Majlish 2.09 percent, Islami Andolan 2.70 percent, Jatiya Party (JP) 0.89 percent, and Independents and others 9.51 percent. Women voters accounted for 51.3 percent of the total votes cast.
Polling in Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 was withheld due to local violence and irregularities, while Sherpur-3 was postponed due to a candidate's death. A by-election will be held within 90 days. BNP is expected to win all three, which would raise its total seats to 215.
Dhaka: BNP's Urban Fortress
Dhaka Division, comprising 70 seats, delivered a sweeping mandate to BNP, which secured 59 seats with an estimated 51.2 percent vote share, equivalent to 1.23 crore votes. Jamaat managed eight seats, while BNP rebels and Khelafat Majlish won the remaining constituencies. In Dhaka metro constituencies, BNP crossed 60 percent vote share in multiple seats, cementing urban dominance.
A notable contest took place in Dhaka-15, where Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman defeated BNP's Md. Shafikul Islam Khan with 85,131 votes (54.2 percent) against 63,517 (40.5 percent) among 3.12 lakh voters with 62.1 percent turnout. Female participation in the division reached 53.4 percent - the highest nationally - and 98.7 percent of polling centres were reported peaceful.
Chattogram: Port City and Coastal Belt Back BNP
Chattogram Division's 58 seats also delivered a landslide for BNP, which secured 50 seats with approximately 52.1 percent of the vote, or around 89 lakh ballots. Jamaat won three seats despite polling 48.5 lakh votes (28.3 percent). BNP rebels captured three seats, while Ganosamhati Andolan and the National Citizens Party won one seat each.
BNP's average victory margin in the division stood at 40,200 votes. Overall turnout reached 57.8 percent, with invalid ballots averaging 2.4 percent and peaking at 3.1 percent - the highest rate nationally.
Khulna: Jamaat's Electoral Citadel
Khulna Division emerged as Jamaat's strongest base. Of the 36 seats, Jamaat secured 25 with 48.26 percent of the vote (61.2 lakh ballots), outperforming BNP's 11 seats with 55.2 lakh votes (43.55 percent).
Jamaat swept Satkhira, Chuadanga and Meherpur and performed strongly in Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Magura, Narail and Bagerhat. Average victory margins stood at 22,100 votes. Khulna recorded the highest turnout nationwide at 63.4 percent, with rural women's participation reaching 55.1 percent.
Rajshahi: BNP Advantage in the Northwest
In Rajshahi Division's 39 seats, BNP secured 28 with 53.88 percent of the vote (57.8 lakh ballots), while Jamaat won 11 seats with roughly 40.2 percent (43.1 lakh votes). BNP swept Bogura, Joypurhat, Naogaon, Pabna and Natore, while Jamaat dominated Chapainawabganj. Average victory margins stood at 31,200 votes for BNP and 18,900 for Jamaat. Turnout was 58.9 percent, with invalid ballots averaging 1.9 percent.
Barishal: BNP-Led Alliance Holds Southern Belt
Barishal Division's 21 constituencies largely favoured the BNP-led alliance, which secured 18 seats. BNP alone won 16 seats with 47.3 percent of the vote, equivalent to 16.2 lakh ballots. Jamaat captured two seats with 23.46 percent (8.05 lakh votes), while Gono Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jatiya Party and Islami Andolan Bangladesh won one seat each.
BNP maintained dominance across Barishal, Bhola, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Patuakhali and Barguna, while Jamaat retained limited rural pockets. Turnout in the division stood at 60.2 percent.
Rangpur: Rural Surge for Jamaat
Rangpur Division reinforced Jamaat's consolidation. Of 33 seats, Jamaat secured 17 with approximately 40.1 percent of the vote (29.9 lakh ballots). BNP won 13 seats with just under 42 percent (31.4 lakh votes), while the National Citizen Party won two seats and an independent candidate captured one.
Jamaat swept Dinajpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari. Rangpur recorded the highest turnout nationwide at 64.1 percent. BNP's average margin in the division was narrower at 15,400 votes, reflecting closely fought contests.
Sylhet: Near-Total BNP Sweep
Sylhet Division saw BNP capture 18 of 19 seats with 60.4 percent of the vote (24.1 lakh ballots). Jamaat secured 9.04 lakh votes (22.62 percent) but failed to win a seat. Turnout reached 61.2 percent, and the division recorded the lowest invalid ballot rate nationally at 1.2 percent.
Mymensingh: Strong BNP Showing
In Mymensingh Division, 23 of 24 seats were declared, with BNP winning 18 seats (approximately 27.8 lakh votes, 52 percent). Jamaat secured three seats with 11.8 lakh votes (21.85 percent), while Khelafat Majlish and an independent candidate won one each. Turnout stood at 59.1 percent.
Demographics, Margins and Campaign Spending
Women accounted for 51.3 percent of total turnout nationwide, a 4.2 percentage-point increase from the previous parliamentary election. Youth aged 18 to 35 comprised 42.7 percent of voters. Invalid ballots averaged between 1.8 and 2.5 percent per booth nationally.
BNP's average victory margin stood at 28,400 votes per won seat, compared to Jamaat's 19,600. BNP mobilized approximately 12 lakh campaign workers, while Jamaat mobilized around 8.5 lakh.
Declared campaign expenditure reached Tk 1,250 crore, with BNP accounting for 52 percent and Jamaat 28 percent. Digital outreach generated an estimated 18 crore social media impressions. The EC confirmed that 99.2 percent of results were digitized and transmitted efficiently nationwide.
As Bangladesh moves toward government formation, BNP's sweeping victories in Dhaka and Chattogram - combined with Jamaat's consolidation in Khulna and Rangpur - underscore a sharply defined regional political map shaped by more than 7.5 crore participating voters.
