Delhi moves first: PM Modi extends best wishes to Bangladesh's future PM Tarique Rahman on win

New Delhi: India was quick off the block with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulating Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader and future prime minister Tarique Rahman for his party's overwhelming victory in the parliamentary elections in a phone call.

Rahman will take oath as the next prime minister of Bangladesh on Sunday.

"Delighted to speak with Mr Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections. I conveyed my best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India's continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples," Modi wrote on X.


Modi was the first world leader to hold a telephone conversation with the BNP leader after his party's win.

He was also the first leader to congratulate Tarique. "I convey my warm congratulations to Mr Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh," the prime minister said in a post on X on Friday morning. "This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership."

Modi assured the incoming dispensation that India will continue to stand in "support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh."

With big stakes in the neighbouring country, India has been engaged in an outreach to Tarique after his return to Dhaka and following his mother and former PM Khaleda Zia's demise in December.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar represented India at Khaleda's funeral and handed over a letter to Tarique on behalf of the PM.

Rajya Sabha MP and former envoy to Dhaka Harsh Shringla told ET that the BNP supremo has made some positive remarks to maintain good ties with India. BNP believes in pro-liberation ideals of 1971 as opposed to Jamaat-e-Islami, Shringla noted.

Highly placed sources told ET that India seeks a constructive partnership with Bangladesh under the BNP rule and extend support to build its economy. It expects BNP to safeguard its security interests and not allow extremist and insurgency groups to operate from Bangladeshi soil unlike the previous BNP rule of 2001-06. There are also expectations that BNP will uphold pluralistic traditions of Bangladesh and pursue inclusive politics.

Pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami registered its biggest election tally ever so far but its failure to get a majority reflects that it has not been able to connect with the women and youth, Bangladesh affairs experts said.

They are of the opinion Jamaat's loss is positive development for the future of Bangladesh but cautioned that the radical outfit could soon up the ante and force Tarique to pursue hardline policy.

The BNP government's biggest challenge will not only to normalise ties with India but also boost the economy, which has been facing headwinds. This is Tarique's first brush with governance and he will be tested.