NEW DELHI, Feb 13
India and the United States have moved quickly to engage Bangladesh’s incoming leadership after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claimed a decisive victory in the 13th Parliamentary Election.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Tarique Rahman for leading the BNP to what he described as a “decisive victory”, stating that India would continue to support a “democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh” and that he looked forward to working together to strengthen bilateral ties.
Within hours, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen also extended congratulations, calling it a “historic victory” and saying Washington looked forward to collaborating to realise shared goals of prosperity and security.
Tarique Rahman poised to lead new government
According to unofficial results cited by local media, the BNP-led alliance has won 210 seats in the 13th Parliamentary Election, paving the way for the formation of a new government under Tarique Rahman.
Local reports indicate that Tarique Rahman is set to lead the new government.
Unofficial constituency-level results show he secured 72,699 votes in Dhaka-17, defeating Jamaat-e-Islami candidate SM Khaliduzzaman, who received 68,300 votes. He also won the Bogra-6 constituency with 216,284 votes.
Following the death of former prime minister Khaleda Zia in December last year, Tarique assumed leadership of the BNP.
His victory signals a major shift in the politics of Bangladesh.
If confirmed, Tarique Rahman would become the country’s first male prime minister in nearly 35 years.
Even as the final results are awaited, India and the US have moved quickly to congratulate him, a sign that both are keen to see a stable and smooth transition in Dhaka
