Bangladesh revolution and election

In the elections that were finally held in Bangladesh (“BD”), the Bangladesh National Party (“BNP”) won a two-thirds majority. BD voters undoubtedly rejected the Jamaat Party, paving the way for Mr Tarique Rahman to become the new prime minister.

Despite the recent chilling relations, India was represented at the swearing-in ceremony by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and deputy secretary of external affairs ministry Misry.

As Rahman lived in exile in the United Kingdom for about 20 years, he seemed to have developed fairly liberal views, which he has expressed upon his return to BD and his swearing-in ceremony. He stated clearly that under his government, BD will become an all-inclusive country in which everyone will be treated equally, and he will focus on economic issues. Prime Minister Modi has invited Rahman, and hopefully, he will accept the invitation. A face-to-face meeting will mark a new beginning to the good relations between the two countries.

Unfortunately, Yunus, the ex-interim President of Bangladesh, was not able to provide a stable government or focus on economic issues. In order to appease the more conservative Islamic elements, he started taking pro-Pakistan and anti-India stands. BD voters were more interested in peace and economic issues. Instead of becoming popular, his government started losing public support. As a result, the students’ party won only six seats.

Soon after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, a number of articles in the Indian news media condemned the toppling of her government, her ouster and the demolition of the statue of Mujibar Rehman by students. While there were reports on the role of China, the USA, and Pakistan in Hasina’s ouster, this movement was carried out solely by the students to end the corrupt rule.

In the world’s history, this was among the few successful movements by determined students to throw out a ruling, corrupt government. The student movement, which started as peaceful protests, turned into a violent struggle against Hasina’s government, which not only demolished her government, but also demolished some of the symbols of her government. Protesters claimed they were fighting Sheikh Hasina’s dictatorial policies and corruption.

Our government’s decision to grant shelter to Hasina turned a number of students and other BD leaders against India and Hindus. Instead of condemning the student movement against Hasina, India and the Indian media should have welcomed it as a movement for restoring democracy in BD. In the September 4, 2026, issue of the Washington Post, more than three dozen Nobel Prize winners, a large number of scholars, social, political, and business leaders from all over the world welcomed the end of a brutal dictatorship and the beginning of a democratic system in BD. The student leaders were not fanatics, and they invited Professor Mohammed Yunus, a non-political person, to head the interim government. Yunus, a Nobel Prize winner in economics, generally holds liberal views and has not been involved in any corruption. When Hindus were attacked by Muslim fundamentalists, he visited the famous Hindu temple in Dhaka, the first senior Muslim leader to do so. At the temple, he met Hindu community leaders and assured them of their safety. However, India’s continued support of Hasina alienated student leaders and their supporters.

The US government did not like reports of Sheikh Hasina’s growing closeness to China. Like previous Indian governments, the current NDA government was fully supportive of Sheikh Hasina. Before the last election in February 2024, the United States was reportedly planning to force Hasina to resign, allowing an interim government to oversee the elections. However, due to the Ukraine and Gaza wars, the US stopped worrying about BD. What the US government did not do, the Bangladeshi students did, and ousted Hasina.

Hasina has been accused of winning the last two elections illegally and fraudulently. Before the national assembly elections, the BD constitution required the resignation of the elected government and the formation of an interim government. In 2005, when Khalida Begum tried to change the constitution to delete this provision, Sheikh Hasina vigorously opposed it. When Khalida finally resigned and allowed the formation of the interim government, Sheikh Hasina became the PM. Then, in the next election in 2019, Hasina changed the Constitution and did not allow the interim government. After winning the election, she arrested Khalida Begum and a number of other opposition leaders.

The second largest party, BNP, boycotted the last two elections, which were uncontested. In 2019, other than the Awami League, only the Jatiya Party contested the elections. After the elections, a strange thing happened. Jatiya Party was recognised as an official opposition party, and some of the Jatiya Party members were included in the Cabinet. When India’s then foreign minister Sushma Swaraj visited BD, she made a comment about the strange phenomenon of the same party being an opposition party as well as a part of the government. In the last election held in February 2024, even the Jatiya Party boycotted the election. Except for a very few independents, all other winners were members of the Awami League. In order to counter the anti-Hindu and anti-India forces in BD, the Indian government should stop supporting Sheikh Hasina and extradite her to BD, as India and Bangladesh have an extradition treaty.

Due to the prominent role played by Mujibar Rehman and his cooperation with India towards BD’s independence, all Indian governments have been supporting Sheikh Hasina even when she allegedly became a blatant dictator. She also gave the impression to the BJP government that her party, Awami League, is the only party which would protect Hindus. However, most of the attacks on Hindus have been reported by the members of her party. No Indian government had any significant contact with the BNP and Jatiya Party. When PM Modi visited BD, Sheikh Hasina made every effort to prevent any meeting between PM Modi and Khalida Begum, the then opposition leader. But they did meet for more than two hours, and the meeting went very well. However, no active contract took place with BNP.

After a good beginning, India should clearly state that it respects the sovereignty of Bangladesh, and India should offer to work with BD to make it a stable and prosperous economy. Let us hope the situation improves in BD and the new government will be democratic and will protect the minorities in BD.

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