Dhaka, Feb 13 (PTI): The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) appeared to be consolidating its lead over its once ally Jamaat-e-Islami as the counting for the crucial general elections to replace the interim administration, which took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024, progressed late on Thursday night.The election is seen as a direct contest between the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami in the absence of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League.Unofficial results after midnight suggested the BNP was leading in most of the constituencies.According to unofficial results tallied so far by Ittefaq newspaper, the BNP has won 158 seats, Jamaat 41 and others five seats. Counting had been completed for 204 out of the 299 constituencies where polling was held.The report indicated the BNP has won the election.In unofficial results, Election Commission officials said BNP chairman and former premier Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman won the seat in his home district in Bugura. Rahman polled 2,16,284 votes, according to the returning officer of the constituency.Rahman's nearest rival and Jamaat nominee Abidur Rahman got 97,626 votes.The BNP had earlier announced that if it was voted to power, Rahman would be the next prime minister of Bangladesh, ending the past 18-month rule of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.Jamaat-e-Islami president Shafiqur Rahman was unofficially declared the winner in a Dhaka constituency. He received 82,645 votes as against his BNP rival's 61,920.BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir won from his constituency in northwestern Thakurgaon with 2,34,144 votes. His rival Jamaat candidate Delwar Hossain received 1,37,281 votes.Jamaat's secretary general Mia Golam Porwar lost the race to his BNP rival Ali Asghar Lobby. While Porwar polled 1,44,956 votes, Lobby received 1,47,658 at a southwestern Khulna constituency.The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform package, known as the July National Charter.The counting of votes began soon after voting concluded at 4:30 pm (local time).Earlier, BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said his party's victory is "inevitable and clear".The Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan, hopes to form the first Islamist-led government in constitutionally secular Bangladesh under its 67-year-old chief Shafiqur Rahman.The Election Commission made elaborate security arrangements for the elections, deploying nearly 1 million security personnel -- the largest-ever in the country's electoral history. PTI AR DIV DIV(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

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