Tarique Rahman's Victory In Bangladesh: What It Holds For India?

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led alliance has swept the country’s general elections with a two-thirds majority. BNP Party leader Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, will be sworn in as the new Prime Minister of the country.

Nearly 61% of the Country’s 12.7 crore registered voters exercised their franchise. As per the latest tally, the BNP-led alliance has won over 210 seats in the house of 299, while the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance remained behind with 77 votes.

While Sheikh Hasina, currently living in exile in India, has described the election as ‘deceptive, voterless, illegal and unconstitutional’. She has demanded the cancellation of this election and the resignation of Principal Adviser Mohd Yunus.

Hasina’s party, Awami League, was banned from taking part in the election this time.

The implications of the outcome for Bangladesh-India relations are likely to unfold in the months ahead.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Tarique Rahman and extended support for democratic, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh while writing on X.

Whereas Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman wants friendly relations with India, and he has promised full protection for Hindus, who are in a minority in Bangladesh.

However, in BNP’s first term, Zia pushed a Look East policy, focusing on strategic alignment with China and Islamic nations over India. The late BNP supremo also took a strong stance against New Delhi on the Ganga water-sharing pact.

Illegal Bangaldeshi migrant issue has also remained a contentious issue between India and Bangladesh. Rising tides of Jamaat-e-Islami are also a significant challenge in Indo-Bangladesh relations.

While the incumbent PM’s promise may bring a fresh start to the BNP and Modi led India, however the challenges remain to be handled carefully.