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Bangladesh Nationalist Party sweeps to victory in first election since Gen Z uprising

Published

3 weeks ago

2026/02/14

Priyan

Tarique Rahman has promised that democracy will be restored [BBC]

The centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has secured a landslide majority in parliament, 18 months after mass protests ousted the country’s longest-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The party took more than two-thirds of seats in the historic general election, with Jamaat, the country’s main Islamist party, coming second. Hasina’s Awami League was banned from taking part.

BNP leader Tarique Rahman is set to be the next prime minister and faces huge challenges in getting the economy back on its feet and restoring democracy after 15 years of authoritarian rule under Hasina.

Voters also backed sweeping democratic reforms in a referendum held alongside the election.

“I am grateful for the love you have shown me,” Raman told well-wishers in Dhaka as he attended Friday prayers.

His party said there would be no victory procession and he urged supporters to attend prayers instead of street celebrations in memory of his late mother, former PM Khaleda Zia, who died in December.

His formal election as the country’s new leader will happen after new MPs are sworn in, which is expected to take place on Saturday.

Rahman’s family background – his late father was also a leader of Bangladesh – is a reminder that while the BNP have promised change, Rahman, like Hasina, hails from a political dynasty.

The absence of both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, who alternated in power over four decades, was one of a number of firsts in this election.

Another was that, with the Awami League banned, Jamaat for the first time ran as one of the main parties vying for power. The alliance it leads took 77 seats, six of which went to the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) born out of the 2024 protests.

The Awami League has questioned the legitimacy of the election given that it was unable to participate, while Jamaat has questioned the way the vote was conducted. Both it and the BNP have accused the other of voting irregularities.

For Rahman, it is a huge change of fortunes. He spent 17 years in self-imposed exile in London before returning to the country five days before his mother’s death and is seen by many as largely untested.

As well as being on track to become the country’s next leader, is also his first time as an MP. He was elected as member for the Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6 constituencies, and is one of 212 successful BNP candidates, according to the Election Commission, which put voter turnout at 59.44%.

During his campaign, Rahman promised that Bangladesh’s democracy would be restored.

Reviving the country’s economy, bringing rising food prices under control and creating jobs for its huge young population are the big challenges facing the new government.

Repairing strained ties with giant neighbour India is also high on the list of priorities.

Within hours of his win, Rahman had received a call from India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who congratulated him on a “remarkable victory”.

“As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India’s continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples,” Modi wrote on X.

Reuters A woman votes in a designated area during the 13th general election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 12 — *Both the BNP and Jamaat have been criticised for a lack of female political candidates [BBC]*

Although the BNP are promising to lead change in the country, the party was criticised for corruption and accused of human rights violations when it was last in government in the early 2000s.

Rahman himself was subject to various criminal investigations while Sheikh Hasina was in power but was later cleared of all charges.

Thursday’s democratic exercise is a moment of huge potential – and risk – for the country, with one of its two main parties winning such a big victory.

Among the constitutional reforms envisaged are prime ministerial term limits, a directly elected upper parliamentary house, stronger presidential powers and increased judicial independence.

Greater representation of women in parliament is also in the charter but only a tiny number of female candidates were successful in the election, showing there is a long way to go.

Of the main parties, the BNP fielded 10 female candidates, the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) just two and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami none.

Both the BNP and Jamaat have denied sidelining women, instead claiming the number of those standing was a result of Bangladesh’s “social structure”.

One voter, Shima Akhter, was among many women who took part in the student-led protests leading to Hasina’s downfall – paving the way for the election – and dismissed this as “just a patriarchal excuse”.

Rahman will be under great scrutiny to deliver for Akhter and other young people like her who are hungry for change as Bangladesh has one of the youngest demographics in the world.

While there may be mixed feelings among some about the election result and concerns over whether the BNP can deliver, Rashna Mahzabin is among those who are happy they got to “raise their voices” after years of authoritarian rule.

“That’s a huge win,” she told the BBC.

[BBC]

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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and Monaragala district.

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/10

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 09 March 2026, valid for 10 March 2026.

The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on the human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body.

This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on the human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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Five Iranian footballers granted Australian visas after anthem protest

Published

7 hours ago

2026/03/10

Priyan

Five members of the Iran women's football team are understood to be claiming asylum [BBC]

Five members of the Iranian women’s football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after their elimination in the Asian Cup, the government in Canberra says.

Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the women “were moved to a safe location” by Australian police. He said other squad members had been told they are welcome to stay in the country.

The women had been due to fly home, but supporters had raised fears for their safety after the team declined to sing the national anthem ahead of their match against South Korea last week.

This prompted criticism in Iran, with one conservative commentator accusing the team of being “wartime traitors” and pushing for harsh punishment.

Australia’s humanitarian visa programme grants permanent protection to refugees and people in humanitarian need. Visa holders can live, work and study in the country.

Speaking early on Tuesday, Burke said the five players were happy for their names to be confirmed as Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi.

“They want to be clear they are not political activists. They are athletes who want to be safe,” he said, adding that talks had been going on over several days.

He said that on Monday “it was made clear that there were five women who wanted to be able to stay in Australia”.

The group left their hotel the same day and were moved to a safe location by police.

Burke said he met the women at that location and then signed off for their applications to go onto humanitarian visas – a process completed at about 01:30 local time on Tuesday (15:30 GMT Monday).

“I say to the other members of the team, the same opportunity is there. Australia has taken the Iranian women’s soccer team into our hearts. These women are tremendously popular in Australia.

“But we realise they are in a terribly difficult situation with the decisions that they’re making,” the Australian minister said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later confirmed that the five players had been given humanitarian visas.

On Sunday evening, hundreds of supporters surrounded the Iranian Lionesses’ coach as it left the stadium on the Gold Coast, with chants of “save our girls”.

On Monday, the BBC witnessed dramatic scenes inside the team’s five- star hotel when several players left the lobby in a group after speaking to activists.

Shortly after they departed, a second group – including a translator and the head coach – burst in looking panicked, and rushed through the hotel before returning to their rooms.

A family member of one of the women – speaking on condition of anonymity – told Australian news site ABC they were being protected by police, and intended to claim asylum.

“I want to kiss the hands of everyone who helped,” the unnamed relative told ABC.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to demand action.

Australia should “give asylum” to the women, Trump said in his initial post. “The US will take them if you won’t,” he added.

Around an hour later, Trump posted again to say he had spoken to Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and “five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way”.

Trump’s post appeared to also suggest some of the team feared for the safety of their families back in Iran and so felt they must “go back”.

“In any event, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation. God bless Australia!” Trump said.

The Trump administration put all asylum decisions on hold at the end of last year, and has stopped issuing immigrant visas for citizens from dozens of countries including Iran. It has said the administration wants to bring “an end to the abuse” of the system.

Last year, two groups of Iranians – including people whose asylum applications had been unsuccessful – were deported from the US back to Iran. The groups reportedly included members of the LGBT community,who face severe legal and social repercussions in Iran.

[BBC]

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India offered sanctuary to Iranian ship three days before US sank it

Published

15 hours ago

2026/03/9

Priyan

Iranian warship Iris Dena sank after being hit by a US submarine on 4 March [BBC]

The Iranian warship Iris Dena was given permission by India to dock three days before it was torpedoed by a US submarine, India has said.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said Iran had sought permission for three of its ships to dock at Indian ports on 28 February – the day the US and Israel began a war on Iran – and permission was granted by India on 1 March.

The ships’ movements between 1 and 4 March are not clear and nor is why only one of them made it to India.

The sinking of the Iris Dena, with 130 sailors on board, in international waters off Sri Lanka’s southern coast on 4 March marked a dramatic widening of the war – and raised questions about India’s authority in its backyard.

It was the first military strike outside the Middle East since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. President Donald Trump has said destroying Iran’s navy is one aim of the assault.

The three Iranian ships – Iris Dena, Iris Bushehr and Iris Lavan – had all participated in a military exercise hosted by India between 15 and 25 February in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam.

They left Indian waters on 25 February and were likely to have been in international waters on 28 February – when the US and Israel began attacking Iran.

“The Iranian side had requested permission on 28 February for three ships in the region to dock at our ports. This was accorded on 1 March,” Jaishankar told parliament on Monday. “Iris Lavan actually docked on 4 March in Kochi. The crew is currently in Indian naval facilities. We believe that this was the right thing to do.”