Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to attend Tarique Rahman's swearing in ceremony in Bangladesh
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will attend Bangladesh Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman's swearing in ceremony in Dhaka on February 17. This comes after Bangladesh invited PM Modi for the ceremony.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will attend the swearing in ceremony of Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh Prime Minister-elect and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief, in Dhaka on February 17 (Tuesday), said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement on Sunday. He will likely be accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
The MEA said Birla's participation underscores the deep and enduring friendship that is there between India and Bangladesh. "As neighbours united by a shared history, culture, and mutual respect, India welcomes Bangladesh's transition to an elected government under the leadership of H.E. Mr. Tarique Rahman, whose vision and values have received an overwhelming mandate of the people," it said.
The development comes after Bangladesh extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Rahman's oath-taking ceremony. According to the BNP, several other leaders from the region have also been invited for the ceremony, which will be organised in Dhaka on February 17. The party said it has send invitations to China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan.
BNP seeks to improve ties with India
Ties between Bangladesh and India had deteriorated after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government was ousted from power following the July 2024 uprising in the neighbouring country. Hasina had fled to India, and Dhaka has repeatedly asked New Delhi to hand her over. The recent killing of minorities, particularly the Hindus, further caused thaws between India-Bangladesh relations.
However, the Rahman's government would be looking to improve ties with India but asserted that the onus for this is on New Delhi, said the BNP chief's adviser Humayun Kabir on Sunday. Though he also noted that Hasina, whom he described as a 'terrorist', must be extradited to Bangladesh.
"India must not be seen as complicit in any activities that undermine Bangladesh's sovereignty. Once that is addressed, normal diplomatic cooperation can resume. We are neighbours and should work together for mutual benefit," he told news agency PTI.
BNP sweeps Bangladesh elections
The polling for the 13th parliamentary elections in Bangladesh was held on Thursday, with the BNP winning over 200 of the 300 seats. The party has made a comeback to power after over two decades, which were mainly dominated by Hasina's Awami League.
As per the Bangladesh Election Commission, the BNP won 209 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami bagged 68 seats. The Awami League, which was barred by the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus from contesting polls, recorded a voter turnout of 59.44 per cent.