Pakistan congratulates Tarique Rahman after BNP's landslide victory in Bangladesh elections

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Tarique Rahman after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a clear victory in the parliamentary elections.

Pakistan welcomed the outcome of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections, with the nation’s top leadership congratulating Tarique Rahman, the chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he extended warm felicitations to Rahman on leading the BNP to a resounding victory and congratulated the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of the polls.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed hopes for strengthened bilateral relations between the two nations and shared goals in South Asia. (Bloomberg)

“I look forward to working closely with the new Bangladesh leadership to further strengthen our historic, brotherly multifaceted bilateral relations and advance our shared goals of peace, stability, and development in South Asia and beyond,” he wrote in a message on X.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari also congratulated Rahman and the Bangladeshi people on peaceful elections, reaffirming Islamabad’s support for democratic partnership and shared progress ahead, writing, “President Asif Ali Zardari felicitates Tarique Rahman on BNP’s landslide victory and congratulates the people of Bangladesh on their successful, peaceful polls. Pakistan reaffirms strong support for democratic partnership and shared progress ahead.”

The reactions came as Rahman-led BNP secured a clear lead in the elections, the first since the 2024 student uprising that toppled the government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

As counting neared completion, BNP and its allies had won 177 seats out of 237 constituencies declared so far, with results pending in 62 seats. Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies had secured 53 constituencies. Follow LIVE updates on Bangladesh election result here.

Congratulations poured in from around the world, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also issuing a statement earlier. “I convey my warm congratulations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership. India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals,” his message on X stated.