Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unable to attend Tarique Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony as he has scheduled meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
The government Sunday decided to send Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla as India’s representative for the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman on February 17 as the country’s Prime Minister.
The BNP had, through the interim government in Bangladesh, invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ceremony, but he has scheduled meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai. Macron and Modi will meet on February 17 in the afternoon for bilateral meetings, before the French President travels to Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
In the wee hours of Sunday, the BNP said that the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has invited the heads of government from 13 countries. The list of invited countries includes China, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, and Bhutan.
Bangladesh Parliament’s newly-elected members will be sworn in on the morning of February 17, and Rahman along the Cabinet members will be sworn in the evening.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Sunday, “Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, will represent the Government of India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh led by Tarique Rahman, Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, in Dhaka on February 17, 2026”.
It said that the “Speaker’s participation at 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.”
“As neighbours united by a shared history, culture, and mutual respect, India welcomes Bangladesh’s transition to an elected government under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, whose vision and values have received an overwhelming mandate of the people,” the MEA said.
Modi first to congratulate Tarique Rahman
On February 13, Prime Minister Modi became the first leader to call BNP chief Tarique Rahman, as it became clear that the party had won a landslide two-thirds majority in one of the most-watched elections in South Asia.
This assumes significance, as it comes after a year-and-a-half of strained ties and acrimonious relations between India and Bangladesh following the dramatic ouster of one of its closest partners in the neighbourhood, Sheikh Hasina. But her presence will frame one of the diplomatic challenges for Delhi and Dhaka, apart from irritants such as water-sharing, border issues, connectivity, among others.
But it was a good beginning. This outreach by Prime Minister Modi was swift and significant — it took place even before the Election Commission of Bangladesh announced the official results.
The first post by PM Modi came at 9.32 am Bangladesh time (9.02 am IST), when posted both in English and Bangla, and he said, “I convey my warm congratulations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.” The fact that he called it a “decisive” victory showed the acknowledgement of the mandate of the people of Bangladesh.
India had called for “inclusive elections”, apart from it being “free, fair and credible” — essentially meaning that the Awami League should be allowed to participate in the elections. But, the Hasina-led party Awami League was banned from contesting the elections.
“This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership,” Modi said, again endorsing Tarique’s “leadership” that has been trusted by a large section of the population of the country — the voting percentage was 60 pc, despite the boycott calls by Hasina.
He then said that “India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh”. This is an important framing since India has called for the security of Hindu minorities, and that was the biggest point of strain between the Mohammad Yunus-led interim government and New Delhi. At that time, Modi had directly mentioned Hindu minorities, but here he just said that “progressive and inclusive” — in an oblique reference.
And, finally, he said that “I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals.” Then he tagged Tariq Rahman @trahmanbnp and BNP’s account @bdbnp78 on X.
Later, at 4.01 pm, he posted on X, “Delighted to speak with Mr. Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections. I conveyed my best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India’s continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples.”
In response, BNP had posted, “Thank you very much, Honourable @narendramodi. We greatly appreciate your kind acknowledgment of Mr. Tarique Rahman’s leadership in securing the BNP’s decisive win in the national elections. This outcome reflects the trust and confidence the people of Bangladesh have placed in our leadership and in the democratic process.”
“Bangladesh remains committed to upholding democratic values, inclusivity, and progressive development for all its citizens,” it said.
“We look forward to engaging constructively with India to advance our multifaceted relationship, guided by mutual respect, sensitivity to each other’s concerns, and a shared commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in our region,” it said.
BNP won the polls with a massive two-thirds majority, securing 209 seats in the 300-seat Bangladesh Parliament.