Muhammad Ibrahim

Ayesha Mir

DHAKA: Bangladesh&rsquo;s prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman on Saturday called for national unity and a reset in regional engagement, signaling renewed outreach across South Asia after his party&rsquo;s sweeping victory in the country&rsquo;s first competitive election since the 2024 uprising. &ldquo;Our paths and opinions may differ, but in the interest of the country, we must remain united,&rdquo; Rahman said at his first post-election press conference. &ldquo;National unity is a collective strength. Division is a weakness.&rdquo; Dedicating the victory to pro-democracy activists, Rahman said, &ldquo;This victory belongs to Bangladesh. It belongs to democracy. It belongs to the people who aspired to and sacrificed for democracy.&rdquo; Rahman&rsquo;s Bangladesh Nationalist Party secured more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats, positioning him to form the next government after nearly two decades in political exile. Focus on India, Pakistan and SAARCPressed on relations with India, Rahman said Dhaka would prioritise strategic interests over ideology. &ldquo;We do not have country-centric policies,&rdquo; he told an Indian journalist. &ldquo;Our strategic interests come first. We prefer mutual, bilateral ties based on respect.&rdquo; On regional diplomacy, Rahman said Bangladesh would seek to revive the SAARC, noting Dhaka&rsquo;s historical role in launching the forum. &ldquo;As you know, SAARC was initiated by Bangladesh,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We will try to re-initiate that process.&rdquo; Asked whether Bangladesh could act as a negotiating bridge between India and Pakistan following tensions after the May 2025 crisis, Rahman said regional stability remained a priority but stopped short of committing to formal mediation. On the sensitive question of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s status in India, Rahman said any decision would follow due process. &ldquo;The handing-over issue depends on legalities,&rdquo; he said. Domestic challenges acknowledgedRahman acknowledged the scale of challenges facing the incoming administration. &ldquo;We are about to begin our journey in a situation marked by a fragile economy left behind by an authoritarian regime, weakened constitutional institutions and a breakdown in law and order,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Restoring democracy is only the first step. Ensuring good governance is the real test.&rdquo; Responding to suggestions that his party&rsquo;s large majority could enable political &ldquo;engineering,&rdquo; Rahman rejected the claim. &ldquo;I think we engineered our campaign so that people would come out and vote,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We have been given a mandate by the people.&rdquo; He said the new government would listen closely to young voters while governing inclusively. &ldquo;Naturally we will listen to the youth, but we have other people in the country too, and we will take care of them as well.&rdquo; Election and reform&nbsp;Rahman&rsquo;s remarks came as Bangladesh concluded its 13th National Parliamentary Election, the first since a 2024 uprising ended 15 years of authoritarian rule. Final results show the BNP winning 209 seats outright, rising to 212 with allies. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats, rising to 77 with alliance partners, emerging as the largest opposition force. Overall voter turnout stood at 59.44%. Running alongside the election, voters also endorsed the July National Charter in a nationwide referendum. More than 70 million ballots were cast, with nearly 48 million voters, about two-thirds, backing constitutional reforms aimed at limiting executive power, strengthening judicial independence, and restructuring parliament. European Union observers described the elections as credible, calling them &ldquo;a pivotal step towards restoring democratic governance and the rule of law.&rdquo; From the opposition, Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman accepted the outcome, pledging to act as a &ldquo;vigilant, principled and peaceful opposition.&rdquo; Pakistan-Bangladesh tiesInternational reaction, particularly from Pakistan, framed the outcome as a milestone for democratic continuity. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned Rahman to congratulate him on what he termed a &ldquo;historic and resounding victory,&rdquo; reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation. President Asif Ali Zardari also congratulated Rahman and the people of Bangladesh on the successful and peaceful conduct of the polls, while Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan would continue to engage Bangladesh &ldquo;on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect.&rdquo; With a clear mandate at home and reform legitimacy secured at the ballot box, Rahman now faces the task of translating electoral momentum into governance, while redefining Bangladesh&rsquo;s regional posture in a fractured South Asian landscape.

Bangladesh

Tarique Rahman secures a commanding parliamentary majority as EU observers say Bangladesh’s vote is credible, competently managed and a pivotal step toward restoring democratic governance.

Bangladesh’s next PM signals regional reset, unity and SAARC revival in first address

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh&rsquo;s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday said it is strategically possible for Dhaka to join a regional grouping with Pakistan without India, though such an arrangement would be difficult for Nepal or Bhutan, according to Bangladeshi media. &ldquo;It is possible for us strategically &hellip; but it is not possible for Nepal or Bhutan to form a grouping with Pakistan excluding India,&rdquo; he told reporters at the foreign ministry, according to state-run BSS News reported. His comments followed Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar&rsquo;s recent statement at the Islamabad Conclave that a new trilateral initiative involving Bangladesh, China and Pakistan had begun and could expand to other countries.&nbsp;Touhid said Dar &ldquo;has said something, and perhaps at some point this could see some progress,&rdquo; noting that he had only seen the information through the media. Improving Pakistan-Bangladesh tiesThe remarks come amid warming relations between Islamabad and Dhaka following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024.&nbsp; In August this year, Foreign Minister Dar visited Bangladesh for the first time in 13 years. In September,&nbsp;Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh&rsquo;s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and the D-8 Summit, signaling a reset in ties. Bilateral trade also rose by about 20 percent in FY2024-25, from nearly $712 million to $865 million. Direct sea trade resumed for the first time in more than 50 years, and Bangladesh later cleared Pakistan&rsquo;s Fly Jinnah to begin direct Karachi-Dhaka flights. High-level military contacts also restarted, with exploratory talks on defense cooperation. The Yunus-led interim government has adopted a broader foreign policy approach, moving away from the Awami League&rsquo;s India-focused posture. This has created space for pragmatic engagement with Islamabad, though the unresolved legacy of the 1971 Liberation War remains a major hurdle.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain says such an arrangement, however, would be difficult for Nepal or Bhutan.

Bangladesh open to joining regional bloc with Pakistan excluding India

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday congratulated the governments and people of all member states on the 40th anniversary of the SAARC Charter, calling for renewed commitment to peace, development and shared prosperity in South Asia.&nbsp;In a message marking the occasion, the prime minister said the day served as a reminder of the region&rsquo;s collective aspiration to work together for stability and progress. He noted that SAARC was founded four decades ago to promote dialogue, strengthen cooperation and build durable ties among regional countries.&nbsp;Sharif said that although regional political dynamics had hindered the organization from fully achieving its founding goals, the SAARC Secretariat continued to play a constructive role by facilitating cooperation and creating opportunities for meaningful engagement among member states.&nbsp;He stressed that economic integration, digital connectivity and people-to-people links had become more important than ever, adding that South Asian nations must work jointly to enhance trade, investment, innovation and cultural exchange.&nbsp;The prime minister warned that the region faced shared challenges, including poverty, climate-induced disasters, food and energy insecurity and public health threats &mdash; issues that transcended borders and required collective action grounded in trust and goodwill.&nbsp;Reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s unwavering support for the principles and objectives of the SAARC Charter, Sharif said genuine cooperation based on sovereign equality, mutual respect and positive engagement was essential to unlocking South Asia&rsquo;s vast potential. He urged member states to renew their resolve to build a peaceful, stable and prosperous South Asia founded on cooperation, connectivity and the collective well-being of its people.

Foreign Affairs

 The prime minister says the day serves as a reminder of the region’s collective aspiration to work together for stability and progress.

Articles tagged with "SAARC"

Bangladesh’s next PM signals regional reset, unity and SAARC revival in first address

Bangladesh open to joining regional bloc with Pakistan excluding India

PM Sharif calls for renewed regional cooperation on SAARC Charter Day

Bangladesh’s next PM signals regional reset, unity and SAARC revival in first address