BNP's Victory in Bangladesh is a Triumph for Democracy: Veena Sikri

Former Indian diplomat Veena Sikri hails BNP's decisive win in Bangladesh's election as a victory for democracy and a setback for Islamist forces. The BNP, led by Tarique Rahman, secured an absolute majority to form the next government.

Former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Veena Sikri has hailed the recent election results in Bangladesh as a major triumph for its people and a clear endorsement of democratic values. "The election results of last night represent a great victory for the people of Bangladesh," she noted. Her remarks come as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, has secured a decisive mandate in the 13th National Parliament election.

Sikri described the outcome as a direct setback to Islamist forces that had aggressively campaigned for power. "I think that the victory of Tariq Rehman is a victory for democracy because Jamaat-e-Islami had been campaigning very strongly, using financial exhortation and using religious exhortation. They were really with the support of the Western powers and the support of Pakistan. They were really all set to form a government on their own," she explained.

BNP Secures Absolute Majority

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) has released the official results for 297 constituencies, as reported by Prothom Alo on Friday. The EC noted that declarations for Chittagong-2 and Chittagong-4 have been deferred and will be announced at a later date, while the outcome for one additional constituency was postponed earlier. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed shared these details during his closing remarks at the Election Commission Secretariat in Agargaon on February 13.

Party-wise Seat Distribution

According to Prothom Alo, of the 297 seats announced, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies secured 212 seats. The 11-party electoral alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami won 77 seats, Islami Andolan Bangladesh obtained one seat, and independent candidates captured seven. Party-wise figures show BNP winning 209 seats on its own. Jamaat-e-Islami claimed 68 seats, Jatiya Nagorik Party six, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis two, Khelafat Majlis one, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP one, Gana Sanghati Andolon one, and Gana Adhikar Parishad one seat, Prothom Alo stated. With these numbers, BNP is positioned to form the next government with an absolute majority in parliament.

'Victory for Democracy, Not Extremism'

Reflecting on the verdict, Sikri said the results highlight a clear distinction made by voters between religious identity and extremism. "The way in which the people of Bangladesh have shown that they are religious, but they are not in favour of Islamic radicalisation or Islamic extremism, and they will not support any fundamentalist party. This is the first message from the election results," she pointed out.

The Awami League did not participate in the election after being barred from political activities, marking a significant change in the country's political landscape.

Future of India-Bangladesh Relations

Sikri also expressed optimism about the future of India-Bangladesh ties following the outcome. "I am sure India will have very good relations with the BNP, and it will be very good for the subcontinent, for South Asia, and for India's neighbourhood-first foreign policy," she added. (ANI)

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