The Bangladesh Nationalist Party raced ahead of its Islamist rival Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday, early counting showed, after tens of millions of Bangladeshis voted in a pivotal national election — the first since the 2024 Gen Z-driven uprising that toppled long-time PM Sheikh Hasina.Analysts say a clear outcome is crucial for stability in the nation of 175 million, after months of deadly anti-Hasina protests disrupted everyday life and hit major industries, including the garment sector, the world’s second-largest exporter.It was the first national election to follow the recent under-30, Gen Z-led uprisings scattered around the world, with Nepal set to hold a vote next month. Counting began at 4:30 pm at most booths, immediately after polls closed with clear trends expected around midnight and results likely to be clear by Friday morning, Election Commission officials said.The race pits two coalitions led by former allies, BNP and Jamaat, with opinion polls giving the BNP a slight edge. BNP was leading in 10 seats and Jamaat in seven of the nearly 20 seats for which early trends were available, local TV news stations said.Bangladesh’s Parliament, the Jatiya Sangsad, has 300 seats, with 151 required for a simple majority. BNP’s Tarique Rahman and Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman said they were confident of winning. “I am confident of winning the election,” Tarique said, while Shafiqur called the election a “turning point” and said the people were eager for a change.As Hasina’s Awami League is banned, she denounced the poll, calling it a “carefully planned farce”.