In a dramatic twist from Bangladeshs recent national elections, three former convicts once slated for the gallows have clinched parliamentary victories, including two accused of plotting terror attacks against India. The February 12 polls, the countrys first since Sheikh Hasinas 2024 ouster, saw the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) dominate with a supermajority.

BNP candidates Lutfozzaman Babar and Abdus Salam Pintu, alongside Jamaat-e-Islamis ATM Azharul Islam, rode waves of voter support to win their seats comfortably—Babar by over 160,000 votes and Pintu by more than 200,000. All three had faced death sentences for their roles in violent incidents but were acquitted by Bangladeshs courts between 2024 and 2025 under the post-Hasina interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. This outcome underscores the BNPs sweeping mandate, driven remotely by exiled leader Tarique Rahman.

The wins carry special weight due to Babar and Pintus alleged terror links targeting India. Babar was implicated in the 2004 grenade attack on Hasinas convoy in Dhaka, which claimed 24 lives, and in schemes to supply arms to Indias ULFA insurgents in the northeast. Pintu, meanwhile, supported the Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), tied to bombings at Varanasis courthouse in 2006, Ajmer Sharif Dargah in 2007, and multiple Delhi sites in 2011. These revelations have sparked concerns in New Delhi, where such figures once fueled cross-border tensions before Hasinas crackdowns restored cooperation.

For India, Bangladesh is a vital neighbor—key for trade, security, and curbing northeast militancy. BNPs triumph, while promising economic reforms, revives memories of the 2000s when BNP-Jamaat alliances allegedly harbored anti-India groups. Tarique Rahman has signaled goodwill toward India, but these electoral surprises could prompt cautious diplomacy amid U.S. President Donald Trumps focus on South Asian stability. Analysts watch closely as New Delhi navigates this new chapter.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from NDTV.