‘We must remain united’: Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Tariq Rehman’s first speech after victory in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tariq Rehman on Saturday called for national unity in his first speech after the party’s landslide victory in the parliamentary elections.He dedicated the victory to those who had “sacrificed for democracy” and urged political differences to be set aside for the greater good of the country.Rehman, who is set to become Bangladesh’s next prime minister, said the country must remain united despite political differences. “Our paths and perspectives may be different, but for the good of the country we must remain united,” he said in his first speech since the election.“I firmly believe that national unity is the strength of the collective and division is the weakness,” he added.The BNP secured a landslide victory in elections held on Thursday, the first since a deadly uprising in 2024 that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.Replying to a question on relations with India, he said, “The interest of Bangladesh and its people will determine our foreign policy”. According to the Electoral Commission, the BNP-led alliance won 212 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance secured 77 seats. Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League was barred from participating in the elections.Rahman began his speech by thanking supporters and describing the mandate as a victory for democratic aspirations.“The country’s freedom-loving democrats have once again brought victory to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party,” he said.“This victory belongs to Bangladesh, to democracy, this victory belongs to those who aspire to democracy and make sacrifices for democracy,” he added.He acknowledged that the incoming government will face significant challenges. “We have paved the way for establishing democracy in the country,” Rahman said.“We are about to begin our journey with a fragile economy left behind by the dictatorship, weakened constitutional and structural institutions and a breakdown in law and order,” he added.The result marked a major political return for the 60-year-old leader, who returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile in Britain. Rahman is the son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Ziyar Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981, served three terms and remained a central figure in the country’s politics for decades.Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman initially claimed there were “inconsistencies and fabrications” in the voting process, but later admitted defeat. He said his party would “be a vigilant, principled and peaceful opposition”.The BNP’s victory with a more than two-thirds majority marks a major political shift in Bangladesh after months of turmoil and drama in 2024.