Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead India’s delegation to the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on February 17, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, sources confirmed to ANI.
This high-level presence signals India’s commitment to strengthening ties with the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government after its landslide victory in the 2026 elections, following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, despite PM Modi receiving an invitation he won’t attend due to prior engagements.
The BNP, securing 209 seats, marks a major shift with Rahman, son of Khaleda Zia, returning from 17 years in exile to lead, while Jamaat-e-Islami took 68 border seats opposite West Bengal. Amid concerns over Siliguri Corridor security and TMC fencing delays, Modi’s post-win call to Rahman reaffirmed bilateral peace and progress.
Bangladesh invited leaders from 13 nations, including Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, China, and Saudi Arabia. The oath at the National Parliament’s south plaza, overseen by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, underscores the constitutional transition post-Awami League ban and 59.44% voter turnout.
Bangladesh PM’s swearing-in clashes with a scheduled bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on the same day.
BNP foreign policy adviser Humayun Kabir described the outreach as a “goodwill gesture” to prioritise regional diplomacy. “The region is important to us,” he told WION. “It is an important part of the foreign policy of Tarique Rahman to make this region an influential region.”
Ties between Dhaka and New Delhi soured after Sheikh Hasina’s government fell amid 2024 student-led protests, forcing her into exile in India and paving the way for Muhammad Yunus’s interim rule.
Earlier, PM Modi made a congratulatory call to Rahman after the election results showed New Delhi’s support for a democratic and progressive Bangladesh.
