Pakistan aims to strengthen ties with new Bangladesh government

Islamabad – (Web Desk) – On Friday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Tarique Rahman on the “resounding victory” of his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the parliamentary elections, expressing his eagerness to collaborate with Bangladesh’s new leadership.

According to BNP’s media team, the party has won enough seats to form a government independently, though rival group Jamaat-e-Islami raised concerns over delays in announcing results. The official final count is still pending from the Election Commission, but multiple local media reports indicate the BNP has crossed the 151-seat mark required for a majority in the 300-member Parliament.

The BNP is led by 60-year-old Tarique Rahman, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, who returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years living in self-exile in London. He is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who passed away last December.

“I extend my warmest felicitations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on leading the BNP to a resounding victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of the elections,” Sharif said on X.

Pakistan seeks to bolster ‘brotherly’ ties with Bangladesh after BNP’s victory pic.twitter.com/AZDaKxSlrz

— The Pakistan Daily (@ThePakDaily) February 13, 2026

“I look forward to working closely with the new Bangladesh leadership to further strengthen our historic, brotherly multifaceted bilateral relations and advance our shared goals of peace, stability, and development in South Asia and beyond,” Sharif said.

Sharif’s statement comes amid Islamabad’s efforts to rebuild relations with Bangladesh, amid a thaw in relations between the two countries. Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of the same country until Bangladesh’s secession following a bloody civil war in 1971, an event that long cast a shadow over bilateral ties.

Both countries have moved closer since August 2024 following the ouster of Hasina, who was considered an India ally, in a mass uprising.

Separately, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari extended his felicitations to the BNP and its leader, Rahman, on securing a “landslide majority” in the national elections and receiving the mandate to form the next government, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

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Pakistan looks forward to working with the new government to strengthen cooperation in trade, defense, cultural exchanges and regional forums, he was quoted as saying.