Dhaka: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) expressed gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for congratulating party chairperson Tarique Rahman after the BNP’s decisive victory in Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections.
The polls, held on February 12, 2026, were the country’s first national elections since the 2024 ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Preliminary results indicate that the BNP-led alliance has secured a commanding majority, winning over 200 seats in the 300-member Jatiya Sangsad, clearing the way for Tarique Rahman to assume office as Prime Minister after 17 years in exile.
PM Modi Extends Wishes To Tarique Rahman
In a post on X, Modi congratulated Rahman on leading the BNP to a landslide victory, saying the mandate reflected the trust of the Bangladeshi people in his leadership. He added that India would continue to support a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh, and said he looked forward to working with the new leadership to deepen bilateral ties and advance shared development goals.
BNP Responds To PM Modi's Gesture
The message from New Delhi came soon after early results began to emerge, highlighting the importance India places on relations with Bangladesh during the political transition. Responding to Modi’s outreach, Nazrul Islam Khan, a BNP standing committee member and head of the party’s poll coordination, welcomed the gesture and said relations between the two countries would strengthen under Tarique Rahman’s leadership. He also praised Modi for recognising the democratic verdict of the Bangladeshi people.
The BNP’s strong showing follows Tarique Rahman’s return to Bangladesh in late 2025 after the death of his mother, former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. Rahman won convincingly in both his constituencies, Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17. Meanwhile, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir delivered another emphatic performance, securing a lead of nearly 2.5 lakh votes in the Thakurgaon-1 constituency.
