The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has won the Thakurgaon-1 by-election by a margin of 129,404 votes, according to preliminary unofficial results.

BNP candidate Mirza Faisal Amin received 227,917 votes, while his closest rival, Delwar Hossain of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, secured 98,513.

The returning officer, Kamrul Islam, announced the results on Thursday night. The figures covered 185 of the constituency’s 186 polling centres.

Thakurgaon-1 was previously represented by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who won the seat in the last general election before becoming president, leaving the constituency vacant. Mirza Faisal Amin, his brother, contested the by-election for the seat.

Other candidates included Md Abdul Alim Nizami of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, who received 836 votes; Md Khademul Islam of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, who received 3,289; and Husain Muhammad Omar Faruk of Bangladesh Congress, who received 420.

Thakurgaon-1 had 515,851 registered voters. A total of 334,300 votes were cast, representing a turnout of 64.81%. Of these, 329,005 were valid and 5,025 were rejected.

The results remain unofficial, with one polling centre yet to be included.

__