Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on February 17, signalling New Delhi’s continued diplomatic engagement with its eastern neighbour following Bangladesh’s recent political transition.
Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is set to assume office after his party secured a sweeping mandate in the country’s first national elections held since the removal of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. The BNP’s decisive victory has paved the way for a new government after nearly two decades out of power.
Bangladesh had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the ceremony, but he is unlikely to travel to Dhaka due to prior commitments, including scheduled bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on the same day. In an official statement, the Indian government said Om Birla’s participation highlights the importance India attaches to its relationship with Bangladesh and reflects the shared democratic traditions and institutional ties between the two countries.
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to draw significant regional participation. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is among the leaders anticipated to attend, while the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus has invited representatives from 13 countries, including India, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan.
The BNP won 209 of the 297 parliamentary seats, securing a more than two-thirds majority and enabling its return to power. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats, while the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, was barred from contesting the election. The polls recorded a voter turnout of 59.44 percent. Tarique Rahman, the 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 party’s election campaign.
Following the announcement of the results, Prime Minister Modi spoke with Rahman and conveyed his congratulations, reaffirming India’s commitment to strengthening cooperation and promoting shared prosperity. In a public message, Modi highlighted the deep historical and cultural connections between the two nations and expressed his intention to work together on common development goals.
In his initial remarks after the electoral victory, Rahman indicated that Bangladesh’s national interests would guide its foreign policy, stressing that Dhaka aims to maintain balanced relations with regional powers, including India, China and Pakistan. He emphasised that Bangladesh would pursue partnerships based on mutual respect and equality.
Responding to Modi’s message, BNP leaders said they looked forward to constructive engagement with India built on sensitivity to each other’s concerns, suggesting that both sides are seeking to maintain stability in bilateral ties as Bangladesh enters a new political phase.
