Bangladesh Elections: In one of the first press interactions after her party's victory in the recently concluded general elections, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hailed her country's relations with India and highlighted the support it received from New Delhi during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. She also outlined her plans for the country's foreign policy as her party, the Awami League, secured a fourth straight term to govern Bangladesh.

"India is a great friend of Bangladesh. They have supported us in 1971 and 1975. We consider India as our next-door neighbour. I really appreciate that we have a wonderful relationship with India," Hasina said in response to a question by news agency ANI. She further expressed her commitment to serving the people of Bangladesh, emphasising the responsibility she feels towards the citizens who have repeatedly voted for her.

"In the next 5 years, our main focus will be on economic progress and to fulfil all the work that we have started. We have already declared our manifesto and we follow our election manifesto whenever we prepare our budget and try to fulfil our promises. Development of the people and our country is our main aim," she stated.

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The Bangladesh PM also mentioned her party's vision to turn the country into a developed nation by 2041. "By nature, our people are very smart, and as I mentioned, we want to train our younger generation for the future. It is our target to develop the country by 2041. Smart population, smart government, smart economy, and smart society are our main aims," the Bangladesh Prime Minister further said.

The ruling Awami League party won 222 seats out of 298, according to unofficial results released by the Election Commission. Meanwhile, the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which participated in the 2018 vote but kept away in 2014, boycotted the polls after Hasina refused its demands to resign and allow a neutral authority to run the general election.

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Bangladesh also witnessed widespread violence during the election period. At least four people were killed on Friday in a train fire that the government called arson. Several polling booths, schools and a Buddhist monastery were also set ablaze days before the poll.

(With inputs from ANI)