Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on 17 February, as New Delhi signals the importance it attaches to ties with its eastern neighbour.
Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is set to assume office after his party secured a sweeping mandate in the first national election held since the ouster of former premier Sheikh Hasina in 2024.
Bangladesh had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the ceremony. He is, however, unlikely to travel to Dhaka as he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on the same day.
In a statement, the Government said Birla’s presence at the ceremony underlines the importance New Delhi attaches to its relationship with Dhaka and reflects the shared democratic values between the two countries.
Among other regional leaders, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to attend the swearing-in. The interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus has invited 13 countries, including India, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan.
Also read: Bangladesh first: Rahman sets assertive India policy
The BNP won 209 of the 297 parliamentary seats, marking its return to power after nearly two decades. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats. Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting. Voter turnout stood at 59.44 per cent.
Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, had spent 17 years in self-imposed exile in London before emerging as the central figure in the BNP’s campaign.
Following the declaration of results, Modi spoke with Rahman and conveyed his wishes. “I conveyed my best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India's continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples,” Modi said in a post on X, adding that he looked forward to working together to advance shared development goals.
In his initial remarks after the victory, Rahman said Bangladesh’s “interests” would shape ties with New Delhi. He added that Dhaka would seek balanced relations with regional powers, including India, China and Pakistan, and did not consider any country a “master”.
Responding to Modi’s message, the BNP said it looked forward to constructive engagement with India guided by mutual respect and sensitivity to each other’s concerns.
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