Dhaka/New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman on Friday, after his party swept the general elections in Bangladesh.
“I convey my warm congratulations to Mr Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership,” PM Modi posted on X.
“India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals,” he added.
Counting till early in the morning on Friday indicated that the BNP coalition would win 209 of the 299 constituencies, taking it past the 151-seat mark required for a simple majority, as reported by India Today.
The last time the BNP formed the government in Bangladesh was in 2001. At that time, the party was headed by Khaleda Zia, who passed away recently. The BNP is now headed by her son Tarique Rahman.
This decisive victory is expected to bring Bangladesh out of the turmoil that it was facing after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
The Jamaat-e-Islami suffered a sharp setback, remaining restricted to double-digits. While vote counting continued in several constituencies, overall trends suggested little room for major changes in the final tally. Till around 4 am, Jamaat-e-Islami had won 56 seats.
There was also strong support for the July Charter, a reform document born out of the 2024 uprising that proposes major constitutional changes.
The Daily Star reported about 72.9 per cent of counted votes were in favour of adopting the charter, while 27.1 per cent were opposed. However, the Bangladesh Election Commission has yet to release official results.
The 13th general elections in the country, initially described by authorities as largely peaceful, were marred by violence in several parts. More than 70 people reported injured in clashes linked to voting, the local media reported.
The Daily Star said at least 72 people were hurt in 14 separate incidents, many of them near or inside polling stations. Police detained at least nine people in connection with the unrest.
The worst violence was reported in Hatiya in Noakhali district, where 31 people were injured in a clash between supporters of the BNP and the National Citizen Party, as reported by the newspaper.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh chief Shafiqur Rahman, said that his party would not pursue “politics of opposition” for its own sake, signalling acceptance of the election outcome.
“We will do positive politics,” he told reporters.
