New Delhi: India will be represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister-designate Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on February 17, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Sunday.
According to the MEA, Birla’s visit highlights the strong and longstanding ties between India and Bangladesh and reflects New Delhi’s support for democratic processes in the region. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is expected to accompany the Speaker.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though invited, will not attend due to a prior commitment — a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on the same day.
Rahman, who heads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is poised to assume office after his party secured a decisive mandate in the first parliamentary election held since the 2024 removal of former premier Sheikh Hasina.
The BNP has also extended invitations to leaders from several countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, the UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan, signalling the ceremony’s wider regional significance.
