The centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has secured a landslide majority in parliament, 18 months after mass protests ousted the country's longest-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The party took more than two-thirds of seats in the historic general election, with Jamaat, the country's main Islamist party, coming second. Hasina's Awami League was banned from taking part.

BNP leader Tarique Rahman is set to be the next prime minister and faces huge challenges in getting the economy back on its feet and restoring democracy after 15 years of authoritarian rule under Hasina.

Voters also supported sweeping democratic reforms in a referendum held alongside the election.

His party said there would be no victory procession and he urged supporters to attend prayers instead of street celebrations in memory of his late mother, former PM Khaleda Zia, who died in December.

Rahman's family background is a reminder that while the BNP has promised change, he, like Hasina, hails from a political dynasty.

Although the BNP are promising to lead change, the party was previously criticized for corruption and human rights violations when in government in the early 2000s.

While there may be mixed feelings about the election result, many are hopeful for a new political era.