"Bangladeshi women have demolished Jamaat-e-Islami": MJ Akbar on BNP win

New Delhi [India], February 13 (ANI): Former Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar on Friday said the outcome of Bangladesh's recent 13th National Parliamentary Elections, which saw victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), sends a strong message about the electorate's priorities, particularly the role of women voters.
Speaking to ANI, Akbar said, "The biggest message of this election is that the Bangladeshi women have demolished the Jamaat-e-Islami. They have done so because Jamaat represented an anti-women platform," while reacting to the results in Delhi.
He alleged that the Jamaat's campaign relied heavily on religious messaging. "The Jamaat actually promised salvation in the next life. It promised freedom from sins. Well, these are very, very good things, but people don't vote in elections for salvation in the next life; they want a better life in this one," he told ANI.
Akbar further claimed that "bribes" were offered during the campaign. "The Jamaat also added a bribe to religiosity, offering 15 thousand Taka to everyone. Voters in the subcontinent understand democracy; they don't get bribed," he stated.
He added that historical memory related to the 1971 Liberation War also played a role in shaping voter choices. "Nor had people completely forgotten the role of Razakar and Al-Badr in the 1971 Liberation War, where the Jamaat actively supported Pakistan against the Liberation Movement," he said.
Emphasising the significance of the result, Akbar noted, "Never forget that BNP has now won the elections. BNP's middle word stands for Nationalist. People of Bangladesh have protected the Bengali culture against the artificial religiosity thrust upon them by a combination of extremists and pseudo-intellectuals."
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Tarique Rahman, chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), on his party's decisive victory in the country's recently concluded 13th National Parliament election.
In a post on X, PM Modi interacted and extended warm wishes for the future.
"Delighted to speak with Mr. Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections. I conveyed my best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India's continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples," PM Modi posted on X.
This warm outreach from PM Modi followed the official declaration of the results of the polls for 297 parliamentary constituencies in the neighbouring country by the Bangladesh Election Commission.
Across the 297 declared seats, a total of 48,074,429 'Yes' votes were cast, while 22,565,627 'No' votes were recorded. The referendum turnout stood at 60.26 per cent, according to Prothom Alo.
These voting details were shared by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed during a media briefing at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Friday.
Among the 297 declared seats, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies secured 212 seats. The 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami won 77 seats; Islami Andolan Bangladesh won one; and independent candidates won seven.
Further breakdown shows BNP winning 209 seats independently. Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats, NCP six seats, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis two seats, Khelafat Majlis one seat, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) one seat, Ganosamhati Andolon one seat, and Gono Odhikar Parishad one seat, as per Prothom Alo.
The decisive 'Yes' victory in the referendum, conducted alongside the parliamentary polls on Thursday to endorse the constitutional proposals outlined in the July National Charter, paves the way for implementing proposed state reforms.
The total voter base for both the election and the referendum exceeded 127.7 million, with the same 60.26 per cent turnout applying to the referendum.
Senior Secretary of the EC, Akhtar Ahmed, reiterated the voting figures in his briefing to journalists at the Election Building in Agargaon today, Prothom Alo reported.
The overwhelming support for the 'Yes' vote signals strong public backing for advancing institutional and constitutional changes following the recent political transition, setting the stage for the new BNP-led government to move forward with these reforms. (ANI)