Argus News - Bangladesh Invites PM Modi to Swearing-in Ceremony of New PM Tarique Rahman

New Delhi/Dhaka, Feb 15: Bangladesh invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of its new Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, following his party’s decisive victory in the country’s first national election after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

Rahman, chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is scheduled to take oath on February 17. India has not officially confirmed receipt of the invitation, and a decision on the Prime Minister’s attendance is awaited. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to attend the ceremony in Dhaka.

According to officials in Dhaka, invitations have been extended to 13 countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan. The invitation was issued by Chief Adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus.

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BNP Secures Clear Majority in Landmark Poll

Rahman’s party secured 209 of the 297 seats contested, crossing the majority mark comfortably. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting the polls. The Election Commission reported a voter turnout of 59.44 per cent.

Rahman, who spent 17 years in self-imposed exile in London, is set to lead the government as the BNP returns to power after nearly two decades.

Following the results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Rahman and conveyed his congratulations.

“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,” Modi said in a post on X.

In a separate post, the Prime Minister said he looked forward to working together to advance shared development goals.

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Dhaka Signals ‘Balanced’ Foreign Policy

In his first remarks after the victory, Rahman said Bangladesh’s foreign policy would be guided by national interest.

“The interests of Bangladesh and its people will determine our foreign policy,” he said, adding that his government seeks balanced relations with India, China and Pakistan and does not consider any country a “master”.

The BNP, replying to Modi’s message on X, said it looked forward to constructive engagement with India “guided by mutual respect, sensitivity to each other's concerns, and a shared commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in our region”.

Sheikh Hasina, who was removed from office in August 2024 following large-scale student-led protests, is currently residing in India. Bangladesh has sought her deportation after sentencing her to death over deaths linked to the unrest.