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    EYE ON INDIA                                                       FEBRUARY 20, 2026       |  The Indian Eye                    6

            Bangladesh After the Ballot: Unity

                        Promised, Challenges Loom

              With the BNP’s sweeping victory marking a dramatic political shift, Bangladesh now

                            faces the twin tests of democratic restoration and economic recovery

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            en “our multifaceted relations and
                                                                                                                  advance our common  development
            Dhaka
                                                                                                                  goals.”
                  angladesh has entered a new                                                                         The BNP responded warmly,
                  political chapter following                                                                     stating, “We look forward to engag-
            Bthe Bangladesh Nationalist                                                                           ing constructively with India to ad-
            Party’s (BNP) decisive victory in the                                                                 vance our multifaceted relationship,
            February 12 parliamentary elections                                                                   guided by mutual respect, sensitiv-
            —  the  first  national  vote  since  the                                                             ity to each other’s concerns, and a
            violent 2024 uprising that led to the                                                                 shared commitment to peace, stabili-
            removal of former prime  minister                                                                     ty, and prosperity in our region.” The
            Sheikh Hasina.                                                                                        emphasis on mutual respect suggests
                The BNP-led alliance secured                                                                      that Dhaka will seek a pragmatic for-
            212  seats  in  the  300-member  par-                                                                 eign policy balancing domestic prior-
            liament,  comfortably  crossing  the                                                                  ities with regional partnerships.
            151-seat threshold required to form
            the government. The Jamaat-e-Is-                                                                      Voter turnout stood at around
            lami-led bloc won 77 seats, emerg-
            ing as the principal opposition. Ha-                                                                  59 per cent, and a constitu-
            sina’s Bangladesh Awami League                                                                        tional referendum on gov-
            was barred from participating in the         Tarique Rahman, Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP
            elections, a factor that continues to                                                                 ernance     reforms     passed
            shape the political narrative around   and son of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum Khaleda Zia, cast his vote for    alongside the elections. This
            the results.                                          the 13th Parliamentary elections (ANI)
                In his first remarks after the out-                                                               signals public appetite for
            come, BNP chief Tarique Rahman    incoming administration, therefore,   the first things maybe the new Prime   structural change beyond a
            framed the verdict as a democrat-  inherits not just power but respon-  Minister will think about is to lift the
            ic endorsement. “Freedom loving   sibility — to stabilise the economy,   ban on the participation of the Awa-  simple transfer of power.
            pro-democracy people of the country   restore institutional credibility and   mi League.” She observed that the
            have once again brought victory to   address concerns over governance.  BNP alliance and the Jamaat-e-Isla-  Tarique Rahman’s personal po-
            the Bangladesh Nationalist  Party,”   The political transition has not   mi alliance had been “neck to neck,”   litical journey adds further weight to
            he said. Calling the result broader   been  without  controversy.  Sheikh   but congratulated the BNP for secur-  this moment. The 60-year-old leader
            than party politics, he added, “This   Hasina formally challenged the legit-  ing a “great two-thirds majority.”  returned to Bangladesh in December
            victory belongs to Bangladesh, be-  imacy of the elections, calling them   The question of political inclu-  after 17 years in exile in Britain. As
            longs to democracy, this victory be-  a “disgraceful chapter” for Bangla-  sivity will be central to Bangladesh’s   the son of former president Ziaur
            longs to people who aspired to and   desh’s democracy. She alleged wide-  democratic future. With the Awami   Rahman  and  former prime  minis-
            have sacrificed for democracy.”   spread manipulation, claiming that   League excluded from the elector-  ter Khaleda Zia, he carries a legacy
                Rahman struck a conciliatory   “voters were absent at the polling   al contest, the parliament reflects a   deeply intertwined with the country’s
            tone, urging reconciliation after years   stations; yet votes appeared on the   reconfigured  but  incomplete  polit-  post-independence political history.
            of polarisation. “Our paths and opin-  counting tables!” The Awami League   ical spectrum. Reintegrating major   Whether the BNP’s landslide
            ions may differ, but in the interest of   also pointed to what it described as   stakeholders into the democratic   becomes a foundation for demo-
            the country, we must remain united,”   “highly inconsistent and unrealistic   process could determine whether the   cratic renewal will depend on how
            he said, emphasising that “national   patterns” in turnout data, noting that   current mandate leads to lasting sta-  it addresses the economic fragility
            unity is a  collective strength,  while   while 14.96 per cent of votes were   bility or prolonged contestation.  and institutional weakening Rahman
            division is a weakness.”          cast  by  11:00  a.m.,  the  figure  rose   International reactions have   himself has acknowledged. His call
                Yet even as he celebrated the   sharply to 32.88 per cent by noon   been swift. Indian Prime Minister   for unity — “national unity is a col-
            mandate, Rahman acknowledged      — implying a rate of approximately   Narendra Modi congratulated Rah-  lective strength” — will now be test-
            the scale of the task ahead. “We are   381,339 votes per minute nationwide.  man, stating that the victory “shows   ed in practice.
            about to begin our journey in a sit-  These allegations underline the   the trust of the people of Bangladesh   Bangladesh has delivered a deci-
            uation marked by a fragile economy   fragile environment in which the new   in your leadership.” Modi reaffirmed   sive mandate. The future will hinge
            left behind by an authoritarian re-  government will operate. Former In-  that “India will continue to stand in   on whether that mandate translates
            gime, weakening constitutional and   dian High Commissioner to Bangla-  support of a democratic, progres-  into inclusive governance, credible
            structural institutions and destroying   desh Veena Sikri suggested that, now   sive  and  inclusive  Bangladesh”  and   institutions and economic recovery
            law and order,” he cautioned. The   that the results are declared, “one of   expressed  his  intention  to  strength-  — or deepens existing divides.

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