United News of Bangladesh

Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs Bala Nanda Sharma is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka Monday night to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh. The Minister will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Kathmandu 10:15 pm and will return to Kathmandu on February 19, a senior official told UNB. The Foreign Minister’s visit reflects Nepal’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and deepening the bonds of cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh, said the Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the visit, Minister Sharma will be accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry. Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister of Nepal Sushila Karki congratulated BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, noting that her country eyes strong ties with Bangladesh. "Warm congratulations to the Government and the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of the 13th parliamentary elections," she said in a message. The Nepal’s Prime Minister extended her heartiest congratulations to Tarique Rahman on leading the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to a remarkable victory in the elections . "I look forward to working closely with you to strengthen our neighbourly ties and consolidate cooperation in areas of mutual interest," she said.    

Minister of Health and Mass Media of Sri Lanka Dr Nalinda Jayatissa will represent Sri Lanka at the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet of Bangladesh with Tarique Rahman as the Prime Minister on Tuesday.  Bangladesh High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andalib Elias saw off the Sri Lankan Minister at the Colombo airport on Monday morning, a senior official told UNB. Tarique Rahman will assume office as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh following the landslide victory of BNP under his leadership in the 13th parliamentary election. ‘Advisers proud citizens’; will attend oath-taking ceremony: Shafiqul Alam The participation of the Sri Lankan Minister at this historic occasion underscores the strong and friendly bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the official said.  

The Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh has appreciated the credible conduct of the 13th parliamentary elections by the people of Bangladesh and congratulated all political parties and leaders, particularly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its Chairman Tarique Rahman, on their victory. In a message shared on February 15, the Japanese embassy said it expects the smooth and peaceful formation of a new government and expressed its interest in further advancing the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. 

Speaker of the Indian Lok Sabha Om Birla will represent the government of India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh led by Tarique Rahman, Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), on February 17. The Speaker’s participation in this ‘important event’ underscores the deep and enduring friendship between the peoples of Bangladesh and India, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the democratic values that bind the two nations, said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday. Although it was not mentioned in the MEA’s statement, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will accompany the Speaker, a diplomatic source in New Delhi told UNB. Modi talks to Tarique over phone, reaffirms India's support As neighbours united by a shared history, culture, and mutual respect, India welcomed Bangladesh's transition to an elected government under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, whose vision and values have received an overwhelming mandate of the people, the MEA said in a statement. Earlier, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony as BNP is set to form the government with a landslide victory against an alliance led by Jamaat-NCP. "Yes, we have received the invitation from Prof Yunus," a diplomatic source from New Delhi told UNB on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, he said, the India AI Imact Summit will take place in New Delhi from the 16th to the 20th of this month. About 20 heads of State, including President Macron, will be hosted by India around the same time, another source from Delhi told UNB, indicating that Prime Minister Modi is unable to come but will send his representative. The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 will mark a historic milestone in global cooperation on Artificial Intelligence. It will be the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South. The Indian Prime Minister was one of the global leaders who congratulated BNP first. He spoke with the BNP chief over the phone and extended support in his endeavour to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. Indian parliament pays tributes to Bangladesh’s former PM Khaleda Zia "Delighted to speak with Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections," PM Modi said. He conveyed his best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. "As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India’s continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples," said the Indian Prime Minister. In a separate message through his X handle, PM Modi conveyed his warm congratulations to Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. "This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership," PM Modi said. India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh, he said. "I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals," PM Modi said. Indian Parliament to pay homage today to Khaleda Zia The new cabinet members of Bangladesh’s incoming government will be sworn in at 4pm on Tuesday at the South Plaza of Parliament, with President Mohammed Shahabuddin administering the oath. Leaders of other South Asian countries have also been invited. On the other hand, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen will represent China at the swearing-in ceremony.

The United Kingdom (UK) has said it will work closely with Bangladesh on their shared priorities of economic growth, migration, climate and security, building on the strong connections between their people. “We look forward to the new government advancing democratic, economic and social reforms,” said a spokesperson at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The spokesperson said they welcome the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, which took place on February 12, and noted that the peaceful electoral process delivered conclusive results. “This represents an important step forward in Bangladesh’s ambitions and the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh,” said the British government official. Earlier, the United Kingdom congratulated BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and his party on election victory. The UK also greeted the people of Bangladesh as the country enters a new chapter. "We look forward to working together on our shared priorities: economic growth, migration, climate, and security," said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Friday in a message through its verified X handle.

Germany has congratulated BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and his party - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - on the election victory. “Germany looks forward to working closely with the new government and the Jatiya Sangsad to further strengthen our political and economic ties, and to continue supporting Bangladesh on its path of democratic reforms and development,” said the German Embassy in Dhaka in a message on Saturday. Germany also commended the people of Bangladesh for their participation in the electoral process, a meaningful expression of democratic engagement, and extended their congratulations to all newly elected Members of Parliament.  

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey has extended her congratulations to BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and his party following their victory in the parliamentary elections. “I commend all citizens and institutions who contributed to a peaceful electoral process and referendum and reaffirm the Commonwealth's commitment to supporting Bangladesh and its democracy,” she said in a message on Saturday. The Commonwealth Observer Group commended the peaceful conduct of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections and the July Charter referendum, while highlighting areas where further progress on inclusion and accessibility could strengthen the democratic process. Commonwealth calls Bangladesh elections acceptable, orderly Addressing a press conference in Dhaka, Chairperson Nana Akufo-Addo said, “The people of Bangladesh have exercised their democratic rights in pursuit of the fulfilment of their aspirations. We encourage them to be magnanimous and united in their shared democratic future.”

The European Union (EU) on Saturday said they look forward to working with the new government of Bangladesh to ‘intensify’ relations and stand ready to support reforms that are underpinned by respect for democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law.  The European Union welcomes the holding of genuinely competitive parliamentary elections and referendum in Bangladesh in a peaceful atmosphere, said the EU Spokesperson in a statement issued from Brussels, Belgium, stating that the people of Bangladesh have exercised their democratic rights in large numbers. The EU deployed an Election Observation Mission, which presented its preliminary findings in a press conference where it noted that the elections were credible and competently managed, marking a pivotal step towards restoring democratic governance and rule of law. The mission’s final report will be published later this year. “We call on stakeholders to work together to deliver on the constitutional, judicial and other important reforms for which popular support has been expressed in the referendum and note the vital role of the new Parliament in this regard,” said the EU Spokesperson. BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman congratulated the people of Bangladesh after his party’s landslide victory in the 13th national election, declaring that ‘we all are free from today’. “This victory belongs to Bangladesh, to democracy and to the pro-democracy people,” Tarique said at his first press conference following the national election, held at a city hotel.  

The United Nations (UN) has congratulated Bangladesh on holding the elections and a referendum and reiterated its commitment to supporting Bangladesh in its effort to build a peaceful and prosperous future.  “The Secretary-General (António Guterres), as he does often after many elections, he encourages all political stakeholders to build on the momentum so as to strengthen national cohesion, uphold the democratic norms and the rule of law,” Spokesman for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a regular briefing at the UN headquarters on Friday (February 13). The UN chief encouraged all political stakeholders to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by all, and protecting minorities as the country advances its transition and pursues inclusive and sustainable reform. “Look, we were not observers to the elections, so it's not for us to give a grade, so to speak, if that's the intent of your question. What I can tell you that we of course, congratulate the people of Bangladesh for the holding of the elections, legislative elections and a referendum,” said the spokesman while responding to a question. “But we continue to be committed to supporting Bangladesh in its effort to build a peaceful and prosperous future,” he added. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Saturday had telephone conversations with BNP Chairman  Tarique Rahman, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman and National Citizen Party chief Nahid Islam, and called on everyone to work together to fulfill the expectations of the people of Bangladesh. He thanked them for playing a responsible role after the election and expressed optimism that the political parties would continue to play a similarly cooperative and positive role in the future to continue the democratic trend. The Election Commission (EC) has already published the two separate gazette notifications of the 297 Members of Parliament. Earlier on Thursday last, the voting was held in 299 out of 300 constituencies across the country in the 13th parliamentary election and referendum on July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order 2025. Commonwealth Observer Group calls Bangladesh election fair, orderly The election in Sherpur-3 constituency was earlier cancelled following the death of a contesting candidate. The EC on Friday announced the unofficial results of 297 constituencies and kept the results of Chattogram-2 and 4 constituencies postponed in the line of the court orders.  

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday congratulated Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on his party’s historic win in Bangladesh’s 13th national elections. The Prime Minister conveyed his felicitations on behalf of the people and the Government of Pakistan, and also congratulated the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of the elections, which he said reflected the democratic values of the country. During a telephone conversation, the leaders recalled the historic and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh, and discussed the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest, while respecting each country’s sovereignty. Modi talks to Tarique over phone, reaffirms India's support Both leaders also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia for her role in promoting Bangladesh-Pakistan relations and bringing the people of the two countries closer. Shehbaz Sharif invited Tarique Rahman to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience. The invitation was welcomed by Tarique Rahman, and both leaders agreed to stay in close contact to further the interests of their peoples.