Premier Shehbaz invites Bangladesh PM hopeful to Pakistan, vows stronger ties

• PM recalls Begum Khaleda Zia's contributions to bilateral ties.
• BNB chief invites PM Shehbaz to undertake visit to Bangladesh.
• PM Shehbaz vows to respect each country's sovereignty.
  

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday invited Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman to undertake an official visit to Pakistan, following his party’s victory in Bangladesh's elections.

In a post on X, the premier said he held a conversation with the Bangladesh prime minister hopeful over the phone and expressed Pakistan’s desire "to strengthen its brotherly ties with Bangladesh, build on the legacy of Begum Khaleda Zia, and advance our shared goals of peace, progress and prosperity".

The BNP won a decisive two-thirds majority on Friday in general elections, a result expected to bring stability after months of tumult following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a Gen Z-led uprising.

PM Shehbaz said that the successful conduct of elections reflected the democratic values cherished by the Bangladeshi people, state-media reported.

Recalling the historic ties between the two countries, the premier vowed to work closely with Dhaka to deepen bilateral cooperation in all mutually beneficial sectors, while fully respecting each nation’s sovereignty.

During the conversation, the two leaders also recalled the legacy of Begum Khaleda Zia, acknowledging her pivotal role in strengthening Pakistan-Bangladesh relations and fostering ties between the peoples of both countries.

PM Shehbaz invited Rahman to visit Pakistan soon, to which the BNP leader responded warmly by extending an invitation for the premier to visit Bangladesh.

Both leaders agreed to maintain close contact in the coming days to work for the welfare of their peoples.

Latest counts in an election, seen as the South Asian nation's first truly competitive in years, gave the BNP and its allies at least 212 of the 299 seats up for grabs, Bangladesh's domestic TV channels said.

The opposition Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies won 70 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation.

The BNP, which returns to power after 20 years, thanked the people soon after winning a majority in the overnight vote count and called for special prayers on Friday for the nation and its people.

"Despite winning ... by a large margin of votes, no celebratory procession or rally shall be organised," the party said in a statement calling for prayers nationwide.

A clear outcome had been seen as key for stability in the Muslim-majority nation of 175 million after months of deadly anti-Hasina unrest disrupted everyday life and industries such as garments, in the export of which Bangladesh is No.2 globally.

BNP leader Tarique Rahman is widely expected to be sworn in as prime minister. The son of the party's founder, former president Ziaur Rahman, he returned in December to the capital, Dhaka, from 18 years abroad.

Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, 85, held office as interim head after Hasina fled to neighbouring India in August 2024.