Senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy won the Dhaka-3 constituency on Friday in Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election, securing 99,163 votes.
Roy, a prominent leader from the minority Hindu community and a former state minister, defeated his nearest rival, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Shahinur Islam, according to state-run BSS news agency.
His victory comes against the backdrop of alleged harassment of minority Hindu community members in the country. The community has faced a series of attacks, some of them fatal, following the killing of radical youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi in December.
India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.
Minority Representation in Focus
In a separate contest, the lone Hindu candidate fielded by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was defeated in the Khulna-1 constituency.
Krishna Nandi secured 70,346 votes, while BNP contender Amir Ejaz Khan won the seat with 1,21,352 votes.
Roy’s win in Dhaka-3 is being seen as significant in the context of minority representation in the country’s political landscape.
BNP Set for Return After Two Decades
The 13th parliamentary elections will elect a government to replace the interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus.
Relations between India and Bangladesh had been strained after the interim government assumed charge following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.
The BNP is moving towards a sweeping victory in the landmark polls, poised to return to power after a gap of two decades.
