Invited by Dhaka, PM Modi to Skip Tarique Rahman's Swearing-In; Om Birla to Step in

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to be sworn in as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh on February 17 after his party won the recent general elections in the country. Rahman’s swearing in will mark the formal return of BNP to power, replacing the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held at the Southern Plaza of the Bangladesh Parliament House. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will administer the oath of office to Tarique Rahman and the new cabinet after the newly elected Members of Parliament are sworn in, according to BNP sources cited by NDTV.

A BNP spokesperson described the day as historic for Bangladesh, asserting that it would signal a fresh political chapter after a long drawn and closely monitored election. The attention would also be on the presence of international representatives in Dhaka, particularly leaders from South Asian countries, they said.

Yunus, the chief advisor of the interim government, invited the heads of governments from 13 nations to attend the swearing-in ceremony, including India, China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan.

Given the recent animosity between Dhaka and New Delhi, and the shared history between the two neighbouring countries, the invitation to India carries significant weight. A formal invitation has been reportedly sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, however, is likely to give it a miss, due to prior commitments in Mumbai on the same day with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.

Om Birla To Go Instead

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Sunday that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be representing India at the oath-taking ceremony.

"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 from the people," a statement from MEA read.

According to diplomatic observers, the level of India’s participation will be closely analysed for signals about the future of bilateral ties with Bangladesh under the new BNP-led government. Past governments led by the BNP had complex relations with New Delhi; however, recent statements and actions from political leaders of both sides have pointed to regional cooperation, trade, connectivity and stability.