General elections are going on in Bangladesh, where voting is taking place on 299 seats. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman said on Wednesday (11 February 2026) that if his party comes to power by winning the general elections, it will work to build strong, respectful and mutually beneficial relations with India. He said this while talking to journalists a day before the elections in Dhaka. Shafiqur Rehman said that his party wants positive and better relations with neighboring countries and other friendly countries of the world. He said, ‘India is our nearest neighbor and it will be our priority. Our aim is not to create conflict but to create partnerships for peace and development. For this, mutual respect and trust is necessary.

General elections are being held in Bangladesh for the first time after the violent movement of 2024. After that movement, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to step down. In this election, Jamaat-e-Islami is leading the alliance of 11 parties and is considered to be the main rival of the BNP led alliance.

Statement regarding minorities

Shafiqur Rahman also reacted to the concerns being raised regarding the safety of minorities during the elections. He said, irrespective of their religion, they are all Bangladeshi citizens. There is no second class citizen in my country. I do not consider anyone a minority. We are all Bangladeshis first and every citizen is equal. He also said that inclusion is necessary for the progress of the country. According to him, ‘Inclusion does not mean dividing people, but accepting that we are all citizens of one nation. The Hindu community is the largest religious minority group in Bangladesh, constituting about 8 percent of the total population. In such a situation, the stance of minorities is also considered important during elections.