https://sputniknews.in/20260214/what-bnp-victory-in-bangladeshi-election-means-for-india-10481991.html
What BNP Victory in Bangladeshi Election Means for India
What BNP Victory in Bangladeshi Election Means for India
Sputnik India
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is set to form the country's next government after the Bangladesh Election Commission announced the final results of parliamentary elections.
2026-02-14T21:04+0530
2026-02-14T21:04+0530
2026-02-14T21:04+0530
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The landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is a powerful electoral rebuke to the interim government, experts say.The scale of the mandate for the BNP under the leadership of Tarique Rahman reflects widespread public frustration with the post-2024 coup government of Muhammad Yunus, economic instability and a drift away from Bangladeshi national interests, Blitz newspaper editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury told Sputnik India.For India, the BNP's return to power is both an opportunity and a test. Historically, India-Bangladesh relations have been strongest on mutual security assurances, counter-terrorism, connectivity initiatives and economic integration, the editor said."Concerns were also raised domestically about the growing space given to radical Islamist factions and elements historically aligned with anti-India and pro-Pakistan narratives" he added. "Such developments naturally generated apprehension in New Delhi."If Rahman chooses a pragmatic, state-centred approach — prioritising regional stability over ideological alignments — the BNP victory could help renew "structured and strategic engagement between Dhaka and New Delhi," Choudhury said, but only if "the new government signals clearly that Bangladesh's soil will not be allowed to be used for anti-India activities."The BNP manifesto pledge of safety and equal rights for Bangladesh's Hindu minority and other religious communities is politically significant but diplomatically sensitive, he said, as they are a constitutional obligation and key to good relations with India."Concrete steps taken early in the administration will send a strong signal — not only to India, but to the international community — that Bangladesh remains committed to pluralism and internal stability."Yunus' exit marks the end of diplomatic friction and strategic uncertainty in India-Bangladesh relations, under strain over the past 18 months strain due to hostility toward India and the emboldening of historically anti-Indian groups, the pundit pointed out.Bangladesh and India share geography, history, culture, trade networks and security interests, and conflict is not sustainable in the long term, he said. A stable BNP government gives the opportunity to reset relations on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect and non-interference.Dr Priyanka Singh, a South Asia specialist with the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, believes the new BNP government gives India hope for warmer bilateral relations as in the past.The Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka had a one-on-one meeting with Rahman in early January, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the BNP leader on his visit for Khalida Zia's funeral and delivered a letter of condolence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi."As a democratically elected government takes office, New Delhi hopes that all such complexities and trust deficits are resolved, so that the two sides can engage closely across political, economic and cultural vectors," Singh added.
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What BNP Victory in Bangladeshi Election Means for India
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is set to form the country's next government after the Bangladesh Election Commission announced the final results of parliamentary elections.
The landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is a powerful electoral rebuke to the interim government, experts say.
The scale of the mandate for the BNP under the leadership of
Tarique Rahman reflects widespread public frustration with the post-2024 coup government of Muhammad Yunus, economic instability and
a drift away from Bangladeshi national interests,
Blitz newspaper editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury told Sputnik India.For India, the BNP's return to power is both an opportunity and a test. Historically, India-Bangladesh relations have been strongest on mutual security assurances, counter-terrorism, connectivity initiatives and economic integration, the editor said.
"Under Yunus, the country experienced a severe erosion of economic momentum, investor confidence, and diplomatic balance," Choudhury says. "Bangladesh's once-improving global image suffered significantly."
"Concerns were also raised domestically about the growing space given to radical Islamist factions and elements historically aligned with anti-India and pro-Pakistan narratives" he added. "Such developments naturally generated apprehension in New Delhi."
If Rahman chooses a pragmatic, state-centred approach — prioritising regional stability over ideological alignments — the BNP victory could help renew "structured and strategic engagement between Dhaka and New Delhi," Choudhury said, but only if "the new government signals clearly that Bangladesh's soil will not be allowed to be used for anti-India activities."
The BNP manifesto pledge of safety and equal rights for Bangladesh's Hindu minority and other religious communities is politically significant but diplomatically sensitive, he said, as they are a constitutional obligation and key to good relations with India.
"For Rahman, this moment offers an opportunity to redefine BNP's political image by demonstrating that governance under his leadership will be inclusive, rights-based, and protective of all citizens irrespective of faith," Choudhury said.
"Concrete steps taken early in the administration will send a strong signal — not only to India, but to the international community — that Bangladesh remains committed to pluralism and internal stability."
Yunus' exit marks the end of diplomatic friction and strategic uncertainty in India-Bangladesh relations, under strain over the past 18 months strain due to
hostility toward India and the emboldening of historically anti-Indian groups, the pundit pointed out.
"The future trajectory now depends on two critical factors: a smooth and timely transfer of power, and the policy direction adopted by the incoming BNP government," Chouhury stressed. "A delay or manipulation in the transition process would risk political instability — something neither Bangladesh nor India can afford."
Bangladesh and India share geography, history, culture, trade networks and security interests, and conflict is not
sustainable in the long term, he said. A stable BNP government gives the opportunity to reset relations on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect and non-interference.
Dr Priyanka Singh, a South Asia specialist with the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, believes the new BNP government gives India hope for warmer bilateral relations as in the past.
The Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka had a one-on-one meeting with Rahman in early January, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the BNP leader on his visit for Khalida Zia's funeral and delivered a letter of condolence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Both sides are willing to cooperate and work with each other as they have in the past," Singh said. "The new government in Bangladesh has infused fresh hope not only within the country but also in the neighbourhood, including India."
"As a democratically elected government takes office, New Delhi hopes that all such complexities and trust deficits are resolved, so that the two sides can engage closely across political, economic and cultural vectors," Singh added.
