Bangladesh Election 2026 Results: Bangladesh is witnessing a major political shift, as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has emerged as the strongest party, claiming a landslide victory with more than 200 seats.
Tarique Rahman and the BNP are now preparing to form the next government, nearly 20 years after Rahman’s mother, Khaleda Zia, last held the prime minister’s office.
At the same time, questions are growing around the future of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who continues to live in exile in New Delhi. Many are wondering whether she will step away from politics or attempt a return to Bangladesh, even as she faces a death sentence handed down by the interim government over the August 2024 riots. Recently, Hasina rejected the latest election results, calling the polls a “sham” and “a farce.”
Bangladesh Election 2026 Results: BNP Pushes for Sheikh Hasina’s Return to Bangladesh
During the election campaign, the BNP and other parties repeatedly urged India to send Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh. Their demands intensified after a tribunal court sentenced the former prime minister to death over the violent crackdown on student protesters during the July uprising.
With the BNP now poised to take charge in Dhaka, the Rahman-led party is expected to act on its election promise and formally pursue Hasina’s extradition from India.
Bangladesh Election 2026 Results: Sheikh Hasina Keeps Low Profile in India
Since being removed from power, Sheikh Hasina has been living in New Delhi. Apart from a few public statements and occasional sightings at Lodhi Garden, the Awami League leader has largely stayed out of the public spotlight.
However, in January 2026, she made headlines after delivering a speech from Delhi that sent shockwaves through Bangladesh. In the address, she openly called on citizens to rise against the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
“To overthrow the foreign-serving puppet regime of this national enemy at any cost, the brave sons and daughters of Bangladesh must defend and restore the Constitution written in the blood of martyrs, reclaim our independence, safeguard our sovereignty, and revive our democracy," she was quoted as saying.
What BNP’s Victory Means for Sheikh Hasina’s Exile
After the tribunal court handed down the death sentence in November 2025, political pressure on India increased. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry formally asked New Delhi to return Sheikh Hasina.
In an official statement, the ministry warned that providing shelter to those convicted of grave crimes would strain ties, saying that offering “refuge to these individuals, who have been convicted of crimes against humanity, by any other country would be a highly unfriendly act and a disregard for justice.”
Bangladesh has since moved to invoke the India–Bangladesh extradition framework. BNP leaders have echoed the demand, framing Hasina’s return as both a legal necessity and a matter of national sovereignty. Some senior figures have said relations with India must progress “beyond Sheikh Hasina.”
Bangladesh Election 2026 Results: India–Bangladesh Ties Under Strain
Relations between India and Bangladesh have remained tense since 2024, when Hasina fled Dhaka amid massive student-led protests. With the BNP now strengthening its presence in parliament, a formal request for her extradition is likely to follow soon.
What Has India Said About Sheikh Hasina?
India initially said it had taken note of the ruling but later clarified that the final decision rested with Sheikh Hasina herself. External affairs minister S Jaishankar said on the circumstances surrounding her stay.
“And, you know, I think that circumstance clearly sort of is a factor in what happens to her. But again, that is something which she has to make up her mind,” Jaishankar said.
