Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated Suvendu Adhikari after his historic electoral victory that led the Bharatiya Janata Party to power in West Bengal for the first time, describing the result as a reflection of “deep trust and admiration” for his leadership.
In a statement issued hours after Adhikari was sworn in as chief minister on Saturday, the exiled Awami League leader praised what she called his “strong and people-oriented leadership” and expressed hope that ties between Bangladesh and West Bengal would deepen further during his tenure.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations and warmest wishes to Shri Suvendu Adhikari on behalf of myself personally and the people of Bangladesh for the landslide victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections and for assuming office as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, India,” Hasina said in the statement.
She added that the electoral mandate represented “a clear reflection” of the people’s confidence in Adhikari’s leadership and highlighted the historical and cultural bonds shared between Bangladesh and West Bengal.
“West Bengal holds a unique place in the history of the sincere friendship between Bangladesh and India. We share a bond rooted in common language, culture, and heritage, and I believe that under his leadership, this relationship will reach new heights in the future,” she said.
The BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly, ending the 15-year rule of Mamata Banerjee and the All India Trinamool Congress in one of the most consequential political shifts in the state’s modern history.
Adhikari, a longtime political rival of Banerjee and a key architect of the BJP’s expansion in Bengal, was sworn in alongside members of his cabinet at a high-profile ceremony attended by senior BJP leaders, federal ministers, and chief ministers from BJP-led states.
Hasina’s message carried broader regional significance given the sweeping political transformation in Bangladesh since August 2024, when she was removed from office amid a violent student-led uprising and has since been living in exile in India.
From Aug. 5, 2024, to February 2026, Bangladesh was governed by an army- and Islamist-backed interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus following the collapse of Hasina’s government. Rights organizations alleged widespread political reprisals, attacks on minorities, suppression of journalists, and systematic efforts to dismantle secular political forces during the interim period.
Many critics argue the political structure established during that period effectively continued after the Feb. 12, 2026 parliamentary election, which they described as a one-sided vote lacking democratic competition. Hasina’s Awami League was officially barred from contesting the election.
The vote brought Tarique Rahman and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to power, while the BNP’s political ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, emerged as the parliamentary opposition. Critics of the current administration argue that the present political order represents a continuation of the post-August 2024 power structure, with the political forces that benefited during the interim administration remaining influential in state institutions and governance.
During Bangladesh’s interim period, Adhikari repeatedly voiced support for Hasina and the Awami League while sharply criticizing the Yunus-led administration. At a political event in North 24 Parganas in December 2024, he described Hasina as Bangladesh’s “legitimate” prime minister and called the interim government “illegitimate.”
“Sheikh Hasina will land at Shahjalal International Airport as the prime minister and she will have to be saluted,” Adhikari had declared at the time.
His remarks drew significant attention in both India and Bangladesh, reflecting the increasingly intertwined political narratives of West Bengal and Bangladesh amid shifting regional dynamics.
West Bengal and Bangladesh share deep linguistic, cultural, and historical ties, with a long and porous international border facilitating trade, migration, and people-to-people connections. Immigration and border security also featured prominently during the BJP’s election campaign in the state, with party leaders pledging tougher measures against illegal immigration.
In her latest statement, Hasina emphasized the need for continued cooperation and regional development between the neighboring regions.
“As neighbours, we have always wished for the prosperity and peace of West Bengal. I hope that the longstanding tradition of cooperation between us will become even stronger during Shri Suvendu Adhikari’s tenure, and that we will continue to work together for the shared development and welfare of the people of both Bengals,” she said.
The congratulatory message is likely to carry diplomatic and political significance beyond symbolic goodwill, particularly as Hasina continues to remain an influential figure in Bangladeshi politics despite her removal from power.
The development also underscores the growing regional importance of West Bengal politics, especially in the context of India-Bangladesh relations and the evolving political landscape in South Asia.
