Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in on 17 February as Bangladesh’s eleventh prime minister after his party’s decisive win in the parliamentary elections of 12 February. The vote — the 13th parliamentary election — was held together with a referendum on institutional reforms after the transition period led by Muhammad Yunus.
Voting from abroad
For the first time Bangladeshis abroad could vote by post, after registering for a dedicated programme. 767,233 people registered to vote from outside the country. By the evening of 9 February, 512,331 overseas voters had cast their ballots — 14,103 of them from Italy.
In Rome’s Tor Pignattara neighbourhood the vote was followed closely: many said that for the first time they felt part of their country’s choices.
What it means for those living in Italy
The new government has listed sending skilled workers and teaching foreign languages among its priorities. In June it confirmed the 2.5% incentive on remittances sent through official channels. In the following months Italy and Bangladesh relaunched cooperation on regular migration and training.
