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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in of Bangladesh’s newly elected government led by Tarique Rahman (pictured) in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Dhaka has invited leaders of 13 countries, including India, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan, according to Prothom Alo, a leading Bangladesh newspaper.
Sources in New Delhi said India is hopeful of improved ties under Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government, and the two countries would work to overcome strains in relations since August 2024. Sources said New Delhi is keen to reset ties with Dhaka but will proceed cautiously, given the BNP’s domestic political compulsions and the stronger presence of Jamaat-e-Islami in the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not travel to Dhaka as French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on Monday evening.
On Friday, Modi was the first world leader to call Rahman to congratulate him on the BNP’s electoral victory and reiterated India’s commitment to the peace, progress and prosperity of both countries. The MEA on Sunday said Birla’s participation at the oath taking ceremony “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.
Humayun Kabir, advisor to Rahman, said that India and Bangladesh should work for “mutual benefit” and added that onus lies on India to recognise the changed political reality in Dhaka.
Barring Pakistan and Bangladesh since August 2024, India’s relations with neighbours have improved in recent months under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and the principle of non-reciprocity for smaller partners.