ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Premier Shehbaz Sharif on Friday congratulated Tarique Rahman on what he called a “resounding victory” of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections.
Sharif said he looked forward to working closely with the new leadership in Dhaka to strengthen bilateral ties.
The BNP claimed a sweeping win in Thursday’s vote, held a year and a half after a deadly uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Final official results are still pending.
The United States Embassy in Dhaka quickly congratulated Rahman and his party, calling the outcome a “historic victory.”
Rahman, 60, is set to lead the South Asian nation of 170 million people. He has pledged to deliver better governance and reforms.
In a post on X, Sharif extended his “warmest felicitations” to Rahman and congratulated the people of Bangladesh on the peaceful conduct of the elections.
Sharif’s statement comes as Islamabad seeks to rebuild relations with Dhaka. The two countries were once part of the same state until Bangladesh’s independence after the 1971 civil war, a conflict that long strained ties.
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Relations have improved since August 2024 following Hasina’s removal from office. Hasina had been seen as close to India. Ties between Dhaka and New Delhi have since faced tension after India granted her asylum.
Sharif said he hoped to deepen “historic, brotherly and multifaceted” relations with Bangladesh and advance shared goals of peace, stability and development in South Asia and beyond.
