Modi Congratulates Tarique Rahman as Bangladesh Nationalist Party Set to Form Next Government

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Tarique Rahman after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party crossed the majority mark in parliamentary elections in the neighbouring country.

The BNP had already won 151 seats in the 300-member parliament, with local media projecting the tally could exceed 200, according to a report by The Indian Express. Jamaat-e-Islami was in second place with fewer than 50 seats.

“This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership. 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,” Modi posted on X.

The BNP’s victory comes amid strained ties between India and Bangladesh.

The previous government, led by Sheikh Hasina, was ousted in a public uprising in 2024. She has since been living in India, and her party was barred from contesting the elections.

Protests against Hasina were often intertwined with criticism of India, reflecting the close ties between the two neighbours during her tenure. Her continued stay in India further fuelled public discourse critical of New Delhi.

On the new government’s relationship with India, BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury declined to single out any specific country, according to a BBC report.

“Our relationship with any country will always be based on mutual respect, mutual interest, non-interference and strategic autonomy,” he told the BBC.

“Bangladesh does not have a country-centric policy. That was a problem with the previous government,” Chowdhury said.