India will be represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman on February 17 in Dhaka, according to reports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly declined an invitation from Bangladesh Interim Adviser Muhammad Yunus due to prior commitments, including French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India on the same day, making his attendance unfeasible.
Dhaka had formally invited Modi to the oath ceremony, which will mark the beginning of Rahman’s term following the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s decisive election victory. India’s decision to send senior officials signals continued diplomatic engagement despite the PM’s absence.
The BNP secured a commanding two-thirds majority in the Jatiya Sangsad, ending nearly two decades of rule by the Awami League and paving the way for Rahman, returning from years abroad, to become prime minister. The polls, conducted under an interim government, saw robust turnout and were widely viewed as peaceful and competitive. International leaders, including from India, congratulated Rahman, while the result marks a significant political shift in Dhaka’s governance and regional dynamics.
