Rajat Sharma’s Blog | Tariq Bangladesh PM: Will it be good for India?

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led coalition has secured more than two-thirds majority in the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. BNP President Tariq Rehman will be the new Prime Minister of the country. BNP has returned to power after twenty years. So far, the results of 297 seats out of 299 have been announced, in which the BNP alliance has won 212 seats, while the alliance led by Islamic fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami has won only 77 seats. Eight seats have been won by independent candidates and small parties.

Tariq Rehman is the son of Begum Khaleda Zia and former ruler General Ziaur Rehman. In this election, BNP has got 129 seats and it is 21 less than the majority mark. Obviously, the new government will have to depend on the support of its allies. Jamaat-e-Islami has won only 62 seats so far, while its allies have won 14 seats. The Jatiya Nagrik Party, which was formed by student leaders who ousted Sheikh Hasina from power, got only four seats. Ousted PM Sheikh Hasina, who is currently taking refuge in India, issued a statement yesterday saying that the election was “unconstitutional, illegal, fraudulent and voter-void”. They demanded the cancellation of this election and the resignation of Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus.

Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League was in power from 2008 to 2024, but was banned from contesting elections. In the voting held yesterday, 59.44 percent voters cast their votes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Tariq Rehman and congratulated him on his “decisive victory”. Modi wrote in his post on social media – “This mandate is a reflection of the confidence of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership. India will continue its support towards a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. I look forward to working with you to further strengthen our multi-dimensional relations and achieve shared development goals.”

This time the army played an impartial role in the elections but Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus tried to postpone the elections till the end. He knew that BNP would win and therefore postponed the elections and gave the Jamaat a chance to establish itself, but when the Army tightened its stance, he agreed to the elections. Now the question is, what impact will this election have on India-Bangladesh relations? I think whether it is Tariq Rehman or Jamaat Amir Shafiqur Rehman, both of them know the importance of India, that is why the Jamaat Amir had to say that his party will be friends with India if it comes to power. Tariq Rehman wants good relations with India. He has promised to provide complete security to Hindus in Bangladesh. Hopefully, he will stick to his promise despite all the tricks of the Jamaat. (Rajat Sharma)

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