Bangladesh election results: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won an overwhelming two-thirds majority in parliamentary elections on Thursday, news agencies reported, citing domestic television channels. The result is expected to bring stability after months of unrest following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a student uprising in 2024.
The latest count in the vote, believed to be the South Asian nation’s first competitive election in years, gave the BNP and its allies at least 212 out of 299 seats, Reuters reported, citing domestic television channels. The opposition Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies won 70 seats in the Bangladesh parliament – the Jatiya Sangsad.
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The Election Commission pegged the BNP at 181 seats, the Jamaat-e-Islami at 61 and others at seven, with full official results not expected until midday on Friday, a Reuters report said.
Tarique Rahman, the 60-year-old BNP chairman, is to be sworn in as Bangladesh’s next prime minister.
Hindus of Bangladesh
New Delhi is closely watching the vote in neighboring Bangladesh for several reasons. In addition to its “neighbourhood first” diplomatic approach, India is also monitoring the status of Hindus in the Muslim-majority country, even more so after recent violence against minorities.
Bangladesh has 90 percent A country with a Muslim majority. Hindus are a small minority in Bangladesh, about 13.1 million people, or about 8 percent of the country’s 170 million people, while Muslims make up 91 percent.
With the rise and return of the BNP, a party with a poor record on minority security, there is a sense of fear among Hindus, as reported by the Indian Express before the results were announced on Friday.
The Hindu community represented the traditional support base of Hasina’s Awami League.
Violence against Hindus
Following the August 2024 uprising, violent incidents targeting the Hindu community in Bangladesh were reported, resulting in many deaths and attacks on homes and businesses.
The Bangladesh Hindu Christian Unity Councilan umbrella group representing minority communities, says it has documented more than 2,000 incidents of communal violence since the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a mass uprising in August 2024.
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The group recorded at least 61 kills, 28 cases violence against women – between rape and gang rape – and 95 attacks on places of worship involving vandalism, looting and arson. It also accuses the Yunus-led administration of routinely dismissing or downplaying reports of such violence.
The Yunus-led administration has consistently denied claims that it has failed to adequately protect minority communities, insisting that most incidents are not motivated by religious animosity.
Previous elections in Bangladesh have also seen an increase in violence, with religious minorities often bearing the brunt. But with Hasina’s Awami League Many Hindus fear the worst as they have long been seen as related to Hasina.
Karmaker, a rights activist, recently told the AP that Hindus are often seen as voting en masse for one party, increasing their vulnerability.
“The individuals involved in this violence are not brought under the law or held accountable through the justice system. It creates the impression that the violence will continue,” Karmaker said.
Reinvention of Jamaat-e-Islami
Bump in attacks against Hindus developed alongside the revival of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party, and its student wing. After years on the political sidelines due to bans, arrests and sustained repression under Hasina’s rule, the party sees the election as an opportunity to regain influence.
Jamaat-e-Islami anchors a broader Islamist alliance of 11 parties, including the Student-led National Citizen Party, or NCP, whose leaders played a central role in the 2024 uprising.
However, Jamaat lost the election. Although before the February 12 polls. Jamaat-e-Islami has tried to reshape its public image even as it advocates Sharia, or Islamic law. He organized public meetings with Hindu participants and nominated a Hindu community leader as one of his candidates.
“Cautious Optimism Among Hindus”
Senior journalist and author Deep Haldar believes there is cautious optimism among Hindus as the BNP is poised to come to power in Bangladesh. “The last time the BNP was in power was from 2001 to 2006. It was one of the worst periods for Hindus in BangladeshHalder told LiveMint.
However, Halder, who has been watching Bangladesh for years, recalls that in 2001, the BNP came to power in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami.
“This time, Jamaat and BNP were a political contest. And from what I heard, the big Hindu vote went to BNP. Even though Jamaat decided to reach out to Hindus, more Hindus chose BNP over Jamaat. So I think there is cautious optimism among Hindus about a BNP government,” said Halder, who co-authored the book 2023.Being a Hindu in Bangladesh: The Untold Story.’
Deteriorating ties
During the fifteen years of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League rule in Bangladesh, New Delhi enjoyed friendly relations with Dhaka until 2024, when it was forced to leave the country.. During Hasina’s tenure, India considered Bangladesh an important strategic partner and sustaining ally security in South Asia.
However, ties between New Delhi and Dhaka began to deteriorate soon after the ouster of the Hasina-led group. Awami League regime on 5 August 2024 and subsequent violence against minorities, especially the Hindu community.
Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have also fueled tensions in India, prompting protests from Hindu nationalist groups and criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Diplomatic tension
India Foreign Office recently accused Bangladesh of downplaying a “disturbing pattern of recurring attacks” on Hindus, saying such violence was wrongly attributed to personal or political disputes. Bangladesh, in turn, described India’s criticism as “systematic attempts” to stoke anti-Bangladesh sentiments.
The dispute spilled over into diplomacy and sporting events. Both sides suspended some visa services and accused each other of failing to protect diplomatic missions. India also withdrew the families of Indian diplomats from Bangladesh, citing security concerns ahead of national elections.
Diplomatic tensions also affected sports ties. Last month, Bangladesh withdrew from Men’s T20 World Cup after the International Cricket Council rejected a request to move their group matches from India to co-hosts Sri Lanka.
This happened after the famous Bangladesh bowler, Mustafizur Rahman has been dropped from the Indian Premier League team following pressure from Hindu groups following attacks on the Hindu minority in Bangladesh.
Multilateral relations: PM Modi
When news broke of the BNP sweep, Prime minister Narendra Modand he was among the first leaders in the region to convey his “warm congratulations” to Tarique Rahman for leading his party to a decisive victory in the Bangladesh elections.
Individuals involved in this violence are not brought under the law, nor are they held accountable through the justice system. It creates the impression that the violence will continue.
Prime Minister Modi said India will continue to stand by a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. “I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multilateral relations and advance our common development goals,” he said.
(With input from agencies)