Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bangladesh signaled a coordinated push to reset bilateral relations on Sunday, as senior leaders from both sides underscored trade, connectivity, youth exchanges, and regional cooperation following Bangladesh&rsquo;s democratic transition.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone conversation with his Bangladeshi counterpart, newly-appointed Khalil ur Rahman, with both sides expressing a desire to strengthen ties &ldquo;with a shared vision of peace, stability, and prosperity,&rdquo; according to Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both leaders agreed to expand cooperation across multiple sectors and build a forward-looking partnership for the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh,&rdquo; the official statement said.&nbsp;The diplomatic engagement follows Bangladesh&rsquo;s first competitive election since the 2024 uprising, which brought Tarique Rahman to office at the head of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government with a commanding parliamentary majority, marking a decisive shift after years of political unrest and strained regional ties.&nbsp;Momentum was reinforced in Dhaka, where Pakistan&rsquo;s Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal attended the oath-taking ceremony and held meetings with Bangladesh&rsquo;s new leadership and opposition figures, representing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.&nbsp;&ldquo;I am here to represent the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan at a very historic moment when Bangladesh is making a democratic transition and a new government is being sworn in,&rdquo; Iqbal said, adding that PM Sharif &ldquo;would very much like to visit Bangladesh as early as possible.&rdquo;&nbsp;In his meeting with Bangladeshi prime minister, Iqbal conveyed formal congratulations and extended an invitation for an official visit to Pakistan, describing Bangladesh&rsquo;s peaceful transfer of power as &ldquo;an important milestone for democratic stability.&rdquo;&nbsp;Rahman, in turn, welcomed Pakistan&rsquo;s goodwill and committed to &ldquo;constructive and future-oriented relations.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We emphasized that Pakistan and Bangladesh are emerging economies with youthful populations,&rdquo; Iqbal said. &ldquo;By investing in skills, entrepreneurship and the digital economy, youth can become a driving force for development.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iqbal said bilateral trade remains &ldquo;far below potential,&rdquo; calling for urgent efforts to expand commerce, integrate supply chains and enhance maritime connectivity through coastal ports. He said both sides discussed creating synergy in industrial capacity, small and medium enterprises, and export strategies to improve access to global value chains.&nbsp;Alongside high-level political outreach, Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic mission in Dhaka has stepped up engagement with Bangladesh&rsquo;s new foreign policy leadership. Pakistan&rsquo;s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Khalil ur Rahman, congratulating him on assuming office and briefing him on recent developments in bilateral relations.&nbsp;According to the Pakistan High Commission, Haider highlighted positive momentum across education, connectivity, trade, agriculture and health, as well as the activation of bilateral institutional mechanisms. Rahman welcomed the briefing, expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved, and emphasized the importance of exploring new avenues to further expand and deepen cooperation. Both sides also exchanged views on collaboration at multilateral forums.&nbsp;The high commissioner separately met Bangladesh&rsquo;s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, congratulating her on assuming office and noting that Pakistan-Bangladesh relations are rooted in shared history, cultural affinities and people-to-people ties.&nbsp;Islam welcomed the engagement and stressed the need to enhance cooperation across all domains to realize the full potential of bilateral relations. Both sides agreed to strengthen ties guided by a forward-looking approach, mutual respect and sovereign equality.&nbsp;At the conclusion of talks with PM Rahman during Iqbal&#39;s Dhaka tour, both sides reaffirmed their resolve to translate goodwill into tangible outcomes, agreeing on the need to revitalize the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and to advance South Asia through geo-economics rather than geopolitics.&nbsp;&ldquo;South Asia remains among the least integrated regions in the world,&rdquo; Iqbal said. &ldquo;Through improved connectivity and trade facilitation, Pakistan and Bangladesh can open new avenues of shared prosperity for the region.&rdquo;

Bangladesh

Bangladeshi foreign minister engages Pakistan through a phone call and a Dhaka meeting with the high commissioner, reaffirming momentum for expanded cooperation, connectivity and forward-looking bilateral relations.

Pakistan, Bangladesh move to reset ties after Dhaka transition

Muhammad Ibrahim

Ayesha Mir

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a majority of more than two-thirds of the seats in parliamentary polls, the Election Commission said on Friday. Election Commission figures said the BNP alliance had won 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, Commission senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters, according to AFP.&nbsp; Turnout was 59%. A referendum on a sweeping democratic charter was endorsed by 60%of voters. The BNP has emerged with a decisive parliamentary majority as counting continues from Dhaka&rsquo;s landmark general election, the first since a deadly 2024 uprising ended years of one-party dominance. According to the latest unofficial results, the BNP has won&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-votes-amid-tight-security-as-polling-begins-in-landmark-election" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(41, 105, 176);" rel="noopener noreferrer">198 seats</a>,&nbsp;while Jamaat-e-Islami secured 62 seats. The youth-led National Citizen Party (NCP) won two seats, with results in several constituencies still pending or withheld on legal grounds. Polling concluded on Thursday evening, with hand counting beginning immediately under heavy security. The vote is widely seen as Bangladesh&rsquo;s most competitive election in nearly two decades, following the student-led uprising that forced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power in August 2024. The BNP, returning to power after nearly 20 years, urged restraint despite its strong showing. In a statement, the party said no victory rallies would be held, calling instead for nationwide prayers.&ldquo;Despite winning by a large margin, no celebratory procession or rally shall be organised,&rdquo; the statement said, citing the party&rsquo;s responsibility to preserve stability. A clear outcome had been viewed as critical for the Muslim-majority nation of roughly 170 million people, after months of unrest disrupted daily life and key industries, including garments, Bangladesh&rsquo;s largest export sector. BNP leader Tarique Rahman, who returned from years in exile late last year, is widely expected to lead the next government. The transition was overseen by interim chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who assumed office after Hasina fled the country. At the BNP headquarters in Dhaka, supporters gathered overnight as the scale of the party&rsquo;s victory became apparent. Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman struck a conciliatory tone, saying his party would accept the outcome if the prevailing trend held. &ldquo;We will do positive politics,&rdquo; he told reporters, adding that national interest would remain the party&rsquo;s priority. The Election Commission said results in three constituencies, Sherpur-2, Chittagong-2 and Chittagong-4, have been temporarily withheld due to pending legal cases involving winning candidates. &ldquo;The commission is legally obligated to withhold publication of results until final disposal of the relevant cases,&rdquo; said EC official Md Shahidul Islam. Turnout appeared higher than in the previous election, with officials earlier reporting participation approaching the mid-40% range by late afternoon. Voting was held in 299 constituencies, with one seat postponed following a candidate&rsquo;s death. 59% voter turnout&nbsp; Voter turnout in the 13th National Parliamentary Election held on February 12 reached 59.44%, according to the Election Commission of Bangladesh (EC). The information was released on Friday at 11:30 a.m. through a brief statement by Md Ruhul Amin Mallik, Director of the EC&rsquo;s Public Relations Division. Several parties raised concerns after preliminary results were announced. The NCP demanded recounts in multiple constituencies, alleging discrepancies between centre-level counts, media tallies and official announcements. &ldquo;We are getting clear evidence of result tampering aimed at top candidates,&rdquo; NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said at a late-night press conference. Despite these challenges, senior BNP figures framed the outcome as a mandate accompanied by responsibility. BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the party would avoid triumphalism. &ldquo;We have many responsibilities ahead,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We do not want to create any tension through celebratory rallies.&rdquo; Alongside the parliamentary vote, a nationwide referendum on constitutional reforms was held, proposing term limits for prime ministers, stronger judicial independence and changes to parliamentary structure. Official results of the referendum have yet to be announced. International reactionsRegional and international leaders moved quickly to respond to the outcome of Bangladesh&rsquo;s landmark election, praising the peaceful conduct of the vote and the clear result. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated BNP leader Rahman on the party&rsquo;s landslide victory and extended greetings to the people of Bangladesh for what he described as a successful and orderly election. In a statement, Zardari said Pakistan &ldquo;felicitates Tarique Rahman on the decisive mandate&rdquo; and congratulated Bangladesh&rsquo;s citizens for participating in peaceful polls, reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s support for democratic governance and closer bilateral cooperation.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2022139603470495866&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e79a25569e508f448e776fe8581c4fedba454a27&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 322px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>He said Pakistan looked forward to strengthening ties &ldquo;based on shared democratic values and mutual progress.&rdquo; Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X on Friday, stated: &quot;I extend my warmest felicitations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on leading the BNP to a resounding victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of the elections.&quot; &quot;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.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2022158528757350813&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e79a25569e508f448e776fe8581c4fedba454a27&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The United States also welcomed the result, offering congratulations to both voters and the winning party. &ldquo;Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on a successful election, and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Tarique Rahman on your historic victory,&rdquo; the US embassy in Dhaka said in a statement. It added that Washington &ldquo;looks forward to working with the new leadership to advance shared goals of prosperity, security and regional stability.&rdquo; As counting continues and final results are certified, analysts say the coming days will test whether Bangladesh&rsquo;s post-uprising transition delivers political stability and restores public trust in democratic institutions.

According to Election Commission figures, the BNP alliance wins 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami–led alliance; voter turnout stands at 59%, and a referendum on a sweeping democratic charter is endorsed by 60% of voters.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins election: Official results

ISLAMABAD: Electioneering by contesting candidates in Bangladesh&rsquo;s 13th National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) Election and Referendum will conclude at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, exactly 48 hours before polling begins, the country&#39;s state media reported, quoting the Election Commission. The campaign, which began on Jan. 22, will end in line with electoral rules requiring a mandatory two-day silence period ahead of voting, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). Election Commission Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said all campaign activities must stop by 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 10 to ensure compliance with election laws. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-elections-test-ties-with-india-as-china-deepens-outreach" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">parliamentary election and referendum</a>&nbsp;will be held on Thursday, with voting scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Balloting will take place through transparent ballot boxes across 299 constituencies nationwide. The Election Commission has cancelled polling in the Sherpur-3 constituency following the death of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate, reducing the number of constituencies going to the polls from 300 to 299. According to EC officials, ballot papers have already been dispatched to returning officers in 49 districts, while the remaining consignments are expected to reach their destinations later today. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/281574fd-7a4e-4eb6-a13f-0b78b1653cd0.png" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">A total of 127.7 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the election and referendum. This includes 64.8 million male voters, 62.9 million female voters, and 1,220 voters from the hijra community. Among the constituencies, Jhalakathi-1 has the fewest voters at 228,431, while Gazipur-2 has the most at 804,333. Overall, 51 political parties are taking part in the election, with 2,034 candidates contesting, including 275 independents. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has fielded the largest number of candidates, with 291 contestants running under its paddy sheaf symbol. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-election-commission-says-poll-preparations-complete" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Polling will be held</a>&nbsp;at 42,779 centres, with 247,482 polling booths set up. Dhaka-12 has the most candidates, with 15 in the race, while Pirojpur-1 has the fewest, with just two candidates. Around 800,000 election officials will be deployed to conduct the polls, while nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel will be assigned to maintain security. In addition, 55,454 observers from 81 locally registered organisations will monitor the election, including 7,997 central observers and 47,457 deployed at the constituency level. Around 500 foreign observers will also be present, Election Commissioner Brig Gen Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah (retd) said.

This photograph, taken on Jan. 30, 2026, shows Ganosamhati Andolon party election candidate Taslima Akhter (centre R) speaking to her supporters during a rally in Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh’s general elections. (Photo: AFP/File)

Election commission official says ballot papers have already been dispatched to returning officers in 49 districts, while the remaining consignments are expected to reach their destinations later today.

Bangladesh elections: 2,034 candidates in race as electioneering ends Tuesday

Web Desk/AFP

The Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people will hold its first elections since the uprising on Feb. 12; European Union election observers say the election will be the 'biggest democratic process of 2026, anywhere'.

Articles tagged with "Bangladesh Nationalist Party"

Pakistan, Bangladesh move to reset ties after Dhaka transition

Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins election: Official results

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