India on Monday welcomed the successful completion of the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoning his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina conveying his heartiest congratulations on her party’s decisive victory.
The Ministry of External Affairs said PM Modi expressed confidence that the partnership between India and Bangladesh would continue to flourish under Sheikh Hasina’s “far-sighted” leadership.
Sheikh Hasina also thanked Modi for being the first leader to call her to convey his congratulations.
“The PM also reiterated the priority India attaches to Bangladesh as a neighbour, a close partner for regional development, security and cooperation, and a central pillar in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy,” the MEA said in a statement. Sheikh Hasina also thanked India for their consistent and generous support which has benefited Bangladesh’s development and appreciated Modi’s reiteration of this commitment.
The conversation between the two leaders was very cordial, fully reflecting the close and traditionally friendly relations between India and Bangladesh, it added.
The MEA said India warmly congratulated the people of Bangladesh for reaffirming their faith in democracy, development and the vision of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sheikh Hasina’s party Awami League emerged victorious in the elections, winning 288 seats in the 300-member House, the country’s Election Commission (EC) declared.
Hasina was sworn in as the prime minister of Bangladesh for the first time in 1996 after she steered her party to power after 21 years.
In 2008, she returned to power and became the PM again. In 2014, her party secured a landslide victory as she retained power for the third time.