Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman, scheduled for Tuesday in Dhaka.
India will instead be represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the ceremony, which will take place at the South Plaza of Parliament. Sources at India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the development to TIMES of Bangladesh.
The decision comes amid a period of political transition in Bangladesh, after BNP secured a two-thirds majority in the recent parliamentary election. Following the result, Modi and Tarique spoke by telephone.
An official from India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the Speaker’s participation reflected the “deep and enduring friendship” between the peoples of India and Bangladesh, and reaffirmed India’s commitment to the democratic values that bind the two nations.
The official added that, as neighbours linked by shared history, culture and mutual respect, India welcomed Bangladesh’s transition to an elected government under Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman, whose leadership had secured what he described as an overwhelming public mandate.
The formal invitation to attend the inauguration was conveyed on Saturday through diplomatic channels by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
Indian officials said Modi is unable to travel due to prior domestic and diplomatic commitments. French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit India on 17 February, with bilateral talks between the two leaders due to take place in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Earlier, BNP Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir said that all regional leaders had been invited to the ceremony.
Leaders from at least 12 other countries are expected to receive invitations, including South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) members Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, as well as China, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia and Brunei.
