Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India will be represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh PM-elect and BNP chief Tarique Rahman on Tuesday, as the BNP returned to power in Dhaka with a landslide mandate.Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be accompanied by foreign secretary Vikram Misri at the event, ANI sources confirmed on Sunday.
In a formal announcement of Om Birla’s participation in the Dhaka ceremony, the ministry of external affairs stated, “The Honourable Speaker’s participation in this important event underscores the deep and enduring friendship between the peoples of India and Bangladesh, reaffirming India’s steadfast commitment to the democratic values that bind our two nations.”The ceremony will be held at the South Plaza of the national parliament following the BNP’s sweeping victory in the 2026 general election.Bangladesh has sent invitations for the ceremony to leaders of 13 countries, including India.The BNP is set to form the next government in Dhaka after securing a decisive mandate in the 13th national parliament elections held on February 12.The outcome marks the party’s return to power after nearly two decades, with Tarique Rahman poised to assume office as prime minister, in line with the party’s earlier announcement.According to the election commission, results for 297 seats have been declared so far. BNP candidates have won 209 seats and are leading in two constituencies where results are currently suspended. The party’s allies have secured three additional seats, taking the BNP-led alliance’s total to 212 seats. In comparison, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has won 68 seats, while its allies in the 11-party alliance have secured nine more, bringing their combined tally to 77 seats.Following the BNP’s victory in the neighbouring country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Tarique Rahman in a social media post.The BNP also thanked PM Modi for his congratulatory message after the party’s win. In a post on X, it said, “Thank you very much, Honourable @narendramodi. We greatly appreciate your kind acknowledgment of Tarique Rahman’s leadership in securing the BNP’s decisive win in the national elections.”This comes amid fluctuating relations between New Delhi and Dhaka after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was toppled during major unrest in Bangladesh in August 2024. She subsequently took refuge in India and remains in exile due to safety concerns.Meanwhile, Hasina’s arch-rival party, the BNP, has now secured power in Dhaka, and the diplomatic trajectory between India and Bangladesh will be closely watched in the coming days.
