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Shafqat Munir, Senior Fellow at Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, described the victory of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the 13th National Parliamentary Election as marking a "new chapter," highlighting that a democratically elected government will now shape the country's foreign policy.
Speaking on the potential for revitalising India-Bangladesh ties, Munir said the relationship has experienced "quite a few ups and downs in recent times," but expressed optimism about the future. "This indeed marks a new chapter because we will now have a democratically elected political government with a very resounding mandate. Together, we will be able to repair and revitalise the relationship as it has gone through quite a few ups and downs in recent times. But to do that, the first task for both sides would be to rebuild trust and address the trust deficit that has developed. The messages emanating from the Indian leadership are indeed steps in the right direction," he told ANI. On PM Modi congratulating BNP chairman Tarique Rahman on the party's landslide win, Munir described the Prime Minister's outreach as "a very important gesture." He said, "This is a very important gesture by Prime Minister Modi. Resetting the ties with India and revitalising our relationship with India will be a key priority for the new government. That will have to be done by both sides, by rebuilding trust and confidence." Munir described the recent election as "a great day for Bangladesh" and called it a "resounding victory for BNP." He further highlighted that the elections were peaceful, with minimal violence, and that voter turnout was high. "This is a great day for Bangladesh. It is a resounding victory for BNP. It was a very peaceful election with very little violence and people came out in large numbers to vote. It's a great beginning for Bangladesh, but the real journey lies ahead. The new government's first priority would be to ensure stability. The nation comes together once again because significant healing and reconciliation are required. The key operational task for the new government would be to reset the economy and set all the economic priorities right," he told ANI. The message comes amid a wave of international acknowledgements following the BNP-led alliance's landslide success in Thursday's polls, alongside the official declaration of results for 297 parliamentary constituencies by Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC). Results for Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 remain suspended and will be announced later, while the outcome of one other constituency was deferred earlier, as reported by Prothom Alo. In the parliamentary results for these 297 seats, the BNP and its allies secured a decisive 212 seats, marking a landslide victory. (ANI)
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