New Delhi:
Bengal’s new Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, received unexpected but lavish praise from Sheikh Hasina, the exiled former prime minister of Bangladesh. In a statement, hours after the BJP leader was sworn in as the chief minister, the Awami League leader said the landslide victory in the state “is a clear reflection of their deep trust and admiration for Suvendu Adhikari’s strong and people-oriented leadership”.
Bangladesh and West Bengal share a border, common culture and language. The state receives an influx of Bangladeshis searching for jobs and business opportunities through the porous border. The BJP had promised in its campaign that it would rid the state of illegal immigration.
“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.
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“The verdict of the people of West Bengal is a clear reflection of their deep trust and admiration for Shri Suvendu Adhikari’s strong and people-oriented leadership. 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 added.
Sheikh Hasina was unceremoniously ousted from Bangladesh by an uprising of students protesting against quotas in government jobs. Amid violence that killed hundreds in 2024, she fled Dhaka in a military chopper, hours before a mob ransacked her house.
She took refuge in India. Last year, a court in Bangladesh sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on protestors.
Her party was barred from contesting the general elections this year. Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s Tarique Rahman became the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh in February, as his party bagged 209 out of 297 seats, while right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats.
“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 added in the statement.
Adhikari was sworn in along with four other members of the state Council of Ministers at a high-profile ceremony attended by top BJP leaders, union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states.
The BJP won 207 seats out of West Bengal’s 294, unseating Mamata Banerjee from the chief ministerial position after her three successive victories.