“The ‘No’ vote has won in four seats.”

On the same day as the 13th National Parliamentary Elections, a nationwide referendum was also held, with preliminary results now indicating that the ‘No’ vote has emerged victorious in four constituencies. These constituencies are Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Chattogram-13.

The Election Commission (EC) released these figures on Friday, 13 February, based on their official result sheets. However, the EC has cautioned that this number could rise as votes continue to be tallied and verified.

In Bandarban, the ‘Yes’ vote received 71,417 ballots, while the ‘No’ vote secured 90,156, out of a total of 315,422 registered voters. Meanwhile, in Chattogram-13, 80,580 votes favoured ‘Yes’, compared with 124,629 votes for ‘No’, from 395,246 registered voters.

The hill districts of Rangamati and Khagrachhari also saw a clear preference for the ‘No’ vote. In Rangamati, 71,699 voted ‘Yes’ while 179,805 opted for ‘No’, among 509,267 eligible voters. Khagrachhari recorded 144,355 ‘Yes’ votes against 155,942 ‘No’ votes from 554,113 registered voters.

The following table summarises the preliminary referendum results for these four constituencies:

These results indicate a significant divergence from the general trend observed in most other constituencies, where the ‘Yes’ vote has largely prevailed. Analysts suggest that socio-political dynamics, local issues, and demographic factors may have influenced voter behaviour in these hill districts and the Chattogram-13 constituency.

The EC has emphasised that while the preliminary data is revealing, final results will only be confirmed after all ballots have been thoroughly counted and verified. Observers anticipate that the final outcome could see slight adjustments, particularly in constituencies with close margins.

The referendum, held alongside the parliamentary elections, represents a crucial measure of public opinion on key national issues, reflecting both regional and national sentiments. Voter turnout and distribution of votes will be closely analysed in the coming days to assess patterns and implications for future policymaking.