New Delhi:

India is weighing its next steps with cautious optimism after a decisive electoral verdict in Bangladesh that has handed a landslide victory to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), ending a turbulent interim phase and reopening the door for a diplomatic reset between New Delhi and Dhaka.

Senior government sources said the result reinforces India's long-stated belief that only a democratically elected government with a popular mandate can provide stability and predictability to bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh.

From New Delhi's strategic perspective, the election outcome marks a clear break from the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, a phase Indian officials privately describe as deeply disruptive.

According to sources, India's relations with Dhaka deteriorated sharply during this period due to what they term encouragement of "chaos and anarchy", repeated delays in restoring democratic processes, and a pattern of public blame directed at India and Indian media for bilateral frictions.

New Delhi rejects that narrative, insisting the damage was the result of policy choices made by the interim dispensation itself.

Government sources told NDTV that India has "always engaged with the elected government of the day, which has a popular mandate", underscoring New Delhi's respect for democratic processes.

That optimism was reflected in the swift outreach from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who posted on X that he was "delighted to speak" with Rahman and congratulated him on the "remarkable victory" in the elections. PM Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to peace, progress, and prosperity for both nations, emphasising the deep historical and cultural ties that bind the neighbours.

Diplomatic signalling is expected to continue. Government sources indicated that a senior Indian representative is likely to attend Rahman's swearing-in ceremony as Bangladesh prime minister, a move aimed at underlining New Delhi's readiness to turn the page. This would follow External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent visit to Bangladesh to pay respects after the death of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

Strategically, India's approach appears clear: back democracy, re-engage constructively, and rebuild trust while remaining alert to security and minority-rights concerns. For New Delhi, the BNP victory is less about personalities and more about process - an elected government, officials argue, offers the only credible foundation for a stable, forward-looking India-Bangladesh partnership.