Sheikh Hasina

Rahman launched a sharp attack on Shahabuddin through a Facebook post, questioning the President’s credibility and accusing him of suppressing crucial details related to the political upheaval of August 5, 2024.

Tarique left Bangladesh in 2008 after being released from detention under a military-backed caretaker administration, saying he required medical treatment. What followed was a 17-year period of self-exile in London.

India’s stance on Sheikh Hasina’s extradition remains firm, and despite occasional political noise, BNP’s majority is unlikely to disrupt bilateral ties, says former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal.

TIB’s findings go beyond isolated violations. They point to systemic weaknesses in the institutions meant to protect democratic credibility, most notably the Election Commission of Bangladesh.

The BNP’s sweeping mandate, coupled with the strongest parliamentary showing ever by Jamaat-e-Islami, has placed India-Bangladesh relations at a delicate crossroads.

Social media chatter and political circles are abuzz with suggestions that Yunus could be accommodated in a constitutional role, possibly with the backing of the incoming government.

Sheikh Hasina rejected Bangladesh’s parliamentary election as illegal and fraudulent, accusing authorities of manipulation, while unofficial results showed Tarique Rahman’s BNP winning a landslide amid political upheaval after 2024 protests.

The BNP, led by Tarique Rahman -- the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia -- secured a decisive mandate in Thursday’s polls, which marked the first general election since the upheaval that forced Hasina from office.

Bangladesh Elections 2026: While Yunus promised a fair election and institutional reform, his tenure has also been marked by serious governance failures, rising political violence and repeated attacks on religious minorities, especially Hindus.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely expected to win, although a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami is putting up a strong challenge

This will be the first national election in decades in which the Awami League, Bangladesh’s dominant political force for more than 30 years, is not contesting.

Bangaldesh Elections 2026: The political field looks very different from past elections. The Awami League remains suspended from the electoral process, dramatically reshaping competition.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, alleged Bangladesh’s upcoming election would be rigged, accused extremist influence, and urged citizens to boycott the February 12 polls.

Joy will address an audience in Kolkata on Monday through a live video link, marking his first direct participation in a public event outside Bangladesh.

Bangladesh says it is “shocked” by India allowing ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina to address a Delhi gathering, warning the move sets a dangerous precedent and could seriously strain bilateral ties.

Awami League leaders Bahauddin Nasim and Sheikh Hasina accused Bangladesh’s interim government of crushing democracy, undermining rights, and fostering extremism, warning the country risks becoming a militant haven without immediate reform.

For Beijing, Bangladesh is a gateway to South Asia and an important link in its Belt and Road Initiative. For Washington, the concern is about limiting China’s expanding footprint in the region.

According to Hasina, the Yunus government's 'rule of terror' has created an atmosphere of fear, forced displacement and weakened Bangladesh's secular fabric.

With mistrust high and anti-India rhetoric growing in Dhaka, renewing the Ganga Water Treaty is shaping up to be less about cooperation and more about managing Bangladesh’s persistent grievances.

BNP alleged that Khaleda Zia’s prolonged incarceration, restrictions on travel, and refusal by authorities to allow her to seek treatment abroad led to irreversible deterioration in her health.