Overview
- Official tallies give the BNP about 212 of 300 seats as Rahman returned from exile and was sworn in as prime minister on Feb 17.
- Voters approved the July Charter referendum with more than 60% support, triggering a 180‑day window to enact 47 broad amendments and centering a fight over how to constitute a new upper house.
- The new cabinet’s first directives target essential prices, law and order, and uninterrupted electricity and energy supply.
- Jamaat‑e‑Islami emerged as the second‑largest bloc with around 68 seats and roughly 32% of the vote, positioning it to press hard on anti‑corruption and reform inside parliament.
- Regional partners are recalibrating engagement with Dhaka, with India eyeing security cooperation, water sharing and connectivity as Bangladesh wrestles with external debt above $100 billion, depleted reserves and bank non‑performing loans exceeding 24%.