Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman and the country's prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman on Saturday said he will prioritise the interersts of the Bangladeshi people when asked about mending ties with India.
Addressing a press conference day after the BNP won a landslide victory in the general elections on Thursday, Rahman called for unity in the interest of Bangladesh and dedicated the victory to people who "sacrificed for democracy."
"This victory belongs to Bangladesh, belongs to democracy, this victory belongs to people who aspired to and have sacrificed for democracy," he said.
He said the new government he will lead faces daunting challenges.
"We have paved the way for the establishment of democracy in the country," he added.
"We are about to begin our journey in a situation marked by a fragile economy left behind by an authoritarian regime, weakening constitutional and structural institutions and destroying law and order," Rahman said.
When asked about ties with India, the BNP leader said, "We have cleared ourselves regarding the foreign policy, which is the interest of Bangladesh, and the interest of Bangladeshi people comes first. By protecting the interests of Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh, we will decide our foreign policy," reported Indian Express.
The BNP alliance won 212 seats in the crucial elections on Thursday, the first since a student-led uprising ousted the iron-fisted rule of Sheikh Hasina in 2024. The alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami and also comprising the National Citizen Party (NCP) of students who led the 2024 uprising, came second with 77 seats.
Hasina's Awami League party was barred from taking part in the elections.
Calling for unity among the political rivals, Rahman said, "Our paths and opinions may differ, but in the interest of the country, we must remain united," Rahman said in his first speech since the election.
"I firmly believe that national unity is a collective strength, while division is a weakness," he added.
Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman, 67, had initially alleged "inconsistencies and fabrications" in the vote, but earlier on Saturday he conceded, and said he would "serve as a vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition".
"Freedom loving pro-democracy people of the country have once again brought victory to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party," he added, in an initial speech in English, before switching to Bangla.
The success of BNP chief Rahman, 60, marks a remarkable turnaround for a man who only returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile in Britain, far from Dhaka's political storms.
His father, president Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in 1981, while his mother, Khaleda Zia, served three terms as prime minister and dominated national politics for decades.
(With inputs from AFP)