Winners and losers revealed: Anti-India leaders’ fate in Bangladesh elections

The polls, held amid political upheaval following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, returned BNP to power with a clear majority. BNP chief Tarique Rahman is now set to become the country’s next Prime Minister, signalling a major change in Dhaka’s political direction and raising strategic concerns in New Delhi.

BNP's winning candidate Lutfozzaman Babar. Photo: Screen-grab/Facebook video

Amid India’s close watch on Bangladesh’s evolving political landscape, three former convicts — including two previously accused in anti-India terror cases — secured victories in the elections, NDTV reported.

Lutfozzaman Babar and Abdus Salam Pintu of the BNP, along with Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, were among the controversial figures who won their respective constituencies.

In December 2024, Bangladesh’s High Court acquitted Tarique Rahman, Babar and others in connection with the 2004 grenade attack targeting Sheikh Hasina, overturning earlier convictions. The verdict cleared the path for their political comeback.

Abdus Salam Pintu won as BNP candidate. Photo: Abdus Salam Pintu/Facebook

A year later, Abdus Salam Pintu — previously accused of backing Pakistan-based terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji) — was also cleared of charges. He went on to win his constituency by a margin of nearly two lakh votes. Huji has been linked to several attacks in India, including the 2006 Varanasi court blasts.

ATM Azharul Islam, a senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader, also secured victory after being acquitted of war crimes charges. He had earlier been accused of involvement in the killing of more than 1,200 people and multiple rape cases during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. He was cleared of all charges during the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who assumed leadership following Hasina’s removal.

ATM Azharul Islam is an anti-India candidate from Jamaat-e-Islami to win the election. Photo: ATM Azharul Islam/Facebook

However, not all anti-India voices found electoral success.

Sarjis Alam, a prominent anti-Hasina activist who had publicly threatened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lost the Pachagarh-1 seat to a BNP candidate. The 27-year-old had gained national prominence during the anti-Hasina protests and had openly criticised India’s role in Bangladesh’s politics.

“I want to let Modi know that this is not Gujarat, this is Bangladesh where aggressive communalism doesn't work. You can't come to power by spreading rumours and killing people,” Alam had said during the protests.

Sarjis Alam, the losing candidate, had earlier threatened Indian PM Narendra Modi. Photo: Sarjis Alam/Facebook

The election outcome highlights a complex political transition in Bangladesh, with several controversial figures returning to mainstream politics even as others failed to convert their anti-India rhetoric into electoral success.