Dhaka, 13 February (H.S.): In a striking display of restraint amid the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) impending parliamentary victory on Friday, Chairman Tarique Rahman directed party leaders and activists nationwide to forgo celebratory rallies and instead hold special prayers following Friday's Jumu'ah services.

The instruction, relayed by BNP press secretary Saleh Shibly just minutes ago, underscores a commitment to composure as the party crossed the 151-seat majority threshold in the 300-member Jatiya Sangsad during Thursday, February 12's vote count, per Ekattor TV reports.

This 13th National Parliament election, the first since the 2024 student uprising felled Sheikh Hasina's Awami League (now banned), saw over 127 million voters participate across 299 constituencies with more than 55% turnout, bolstered by first-time postal ballots for expatriates and a parallel July Charter referendum.

BNP spokesperson Mahdi Amin had earlier forecasted an inevitable win, with Rahman himself securing Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 seats, positioning the 60-year-old scion of Khaleda Zia as prime ministerial heir apparent.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin cautioned that television figures from private sources remain unofficial, even as Jamaat-e-Islami's coalition trailed; isolated violence like blasts and a BNP leader's death in Khulna marred but did not derail the largely peaceful process monitored by 500 foreign observers.

Interim leader Muhammad Yunus hailed the day as Bangladesh's new birthday, while exiled Hasina decried it a farce; Rahman's prayer call signals a pivot toward governance over revelry in this pivotal South Asian shift.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar