Islamabad, Pakistan – The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) commanding victory in Bangladesh’s parliamentary election marks not only a political watershed for the South Asian nation, but also a potential recalibration of regional power dynamics across India, Pakistan and China.With unofficial results declared on Thursday showing the BNP-led coalition securing 209 seats, a two-thirds majority in the 350-member parliament, Tarique Rahman’s party has delivered what observers described as Bangladesh’s first genuinely competitive election in nearly two decades.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition, the BNP’s main rival in the election, secured 74 seats as the country marked a decisive break from the Sheikh Hasina era and signalled the beginning of what analysts call a “paradigm shift” in Dhaka’s foreign policy orientation.Soon after the results were announced, the prime ministers of both India and Pakistan congratulated 60-year-old Rahman for a decisive win.Delwar Hossain, professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka, described the election outcome as “a new turning point in crafting bilateral relations with India and Pakistan”.“The new government may bring about a policy framework with clarity of purpose and effective implementation strategies,” Hossain told Al Jazeera. “The continuing India-Pakistan hostility and China-India rivalry may remain critical determinants of Bangladesh’s foreign policy moves in its neighbourhood.”Will India ties be reset?Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted his congratulations to Rahman on X on Friday, following it up with a phone call hours later. Advertisement “India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh,” Modi wrote, adding that Rahman’s win “shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership.”In a …
