DIVYA DELHI : Three Bangladeshi political leaders — two from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and one from Jamaat-e-Islami — have won seats in the country’s first national election following the exit of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The winners include Lutfozzaman Babar and Abdus Salam Pintu of the BNP, led by Tarique Rahman, and ATM Azharul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami. All three had previously faced serious charges, including death sentences, before being acquitted by court rulings during the interim phase led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus after Hasina’s departure to India. Babar and Rahman were cleared in a 2004 grenade attack case targeting Sheikh Hasina, which killed 24 people. Pintu had also faced allegations linked to terror activities, while Azharul Islam had been sentenced to death in 2014 over charges related to the 1971 Liberation War. All were later acquitted. Their electoral victories mark a significant political shift in Bangladesh and are being closely watched by India, given past tensions in bilateral relations. Indian officials have indicated cautious optimism regarding the new leadership under Tarique Rahman.
