Kolkata/Dhaka: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated the newly elected MLAs of the West Bengal Assembly following the BJP’s historic victory in the 2026 state elections. Her message, shared amid dramatic political developments in Bengal, quickly drew attention on both sides of the border.
According to reports, Sheikh Hasina extended “hearty congratulations and best wishes” to all elected representatives in the newly formed Assembly. The message came just hours before BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s swearing-in ceremony as West Bengal’s first BJP Chief Minister.
The BJP scripted history in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections by winning more than 200 seats and ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule under Mamata Banerjee. The massive victory marked the BJP’s first-ever government in the state and one of the biggest political shifts in Bengal’s modern history.
Sheikh Hasina’s remarks gained additional significance because she remains in political exile in India after the fall of her Awami League government during the 2024 Bangladesh uprising. The Awami League was later banned from political activities in Bangladesh, while Hasina herself repeatedly criticised the political developments in her country from abroad.
Political observers believe her congratulatory message reflects the close historical and political attention that developments in West Bengal often receive in Bangladesh, especially due to cultural, linguistic and border ties between the two regions.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government is expected to take place at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several NDA chief ministers.