PM Modi greets BNP President Tarique Rahman on party's victory; will Bangladesh's relations with India improve?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) President Tarique Rahman on the party's victory in the general elections in Bangladesh.
PM Modi said that this victory reflects the people of Bangladesh's trust in Tarique Rahman's leadership.
He said, "India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh. I look forward to working with you (Tarique Rahman) to strengthen our multifaceted relationship and advance our shared development goals."
Ongoing vote-counting trends in Bangladesh indicate a landslide victory for the BNP-led alliance.
The BNP-led alliance has so far won 128 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance has won 46.
Others have won eight seats so far. Vote counting is still ongoing.
151 seats are needed to form a government in Bangladesh.
Significantly, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman won the election, the first held since the 2024 student movement that ousted Sheikh Hasina's government from power.
BNP's victory is entirely attributed to Tariqe Rahman
The biggest factor in the BNP's victory was Tariqe Rahman, son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The BNP's victory is entirely attributed to Tariqe Rahman. He returned to Bangladesh from London on December 25, 2025, after nearly 17 years in exile. In 2008,
Tariqe Rahman was forced to flee the country. The Sheikh Hasina government had filed more than 80 cases against him. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment and 17 years in prison in various cases.
He continued to manage party affairs from London. His return just before the elections was a major political booster for the BNP. Tariqe Rahman had been the party's acting chairman since 2018. He was appointed chairman on January 9, 2026. This position had fallen vacant following the death of party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who passed away on December 30, 2025.
Will Bangladesh's relations with India improve?
After the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, reports of attacks on minorities have been continuously emerging in Bangladesh. Several Hindu youths were murdered before the elections, which has strained the neighboring country's relations with India.
Although BNP leader Tariq Rahman had stated before the elections that he would maintain friendly relations with all countries, it remains to be seen how Tariq Rahman's relations with India will be.