By India will be represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister-designate Tarique Rahman on February 17, signalling New Delhi’s intent to maintain high-level engagement with Dhaka even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi stays away due to prior commitments.
The decision, announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday, comes at a politically significant moment for both countries. Rahman’s rise marks a generational shift in Bangladesh’s leadership following months of political churn, while India’s choice of emissary reflects a calibrated diplomatic message — one that balances continuity with protocol.
An invitation for the ceremony was extended by Bangladesh’s interim chief adviser Muhammad Yunus to Prime Minister Modi a day after Modi and Rahman spoke over the phone. However, officials confirmed that Modi will not travel to Dhaka, citing the scheduled visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Mumbai on the same day and the ongoing AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and senior officials are expected to accompany Birla.
In its statement, the MEA described Birla’s participation as underscoring the “deep and enduring friendship” between India and Bangladesh and reaffirming India’s commitment to democratic processes in the neighbourhood. The phrasing reflects New Delhi’s effort to position itself as supportive of Bangladesh’s political transition while maintaining a degree of diplomatic balance.
Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a decisive mandate in the country’s first general election since the dramatic ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. The BNP won 209 of the 297 elected seats, clearing the path for Rahman to form government. The oath-taking ceremony will unfold in two stages: newly elected Members of Parliament are expected to be sworn in during the morning by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, followed by Rahman and his Cabinet taking the oath from President Mohammed Shahabuddin later in the day.
Rahman’s ascent is historically significant. He will become Bangladesh’s first male Prime Minister in decades, succeeding a line of powerful women leaders, including his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who passed away in December 2025. His father, General Ziaur Rahman, served as President after seizing power in 1975 before his assassination in 1981 — a political legacy that continues to shape Bangladesh’s national narrative.
For India, the leadership transition in Dhaka carries strategic implications. Bangladesh remains a key partner in regional connectivity, security cooperation and trade. Bilateral ties expanded significantly over the past decade, particularly in counterterrorism coordination and cross-border infrastructure projects. New Delhi’s diplomatic messaging suggests a willingness to work constructively with Rahman’s administration while closely observing how his government navigates domestic and regional challenges.
Leaders from at least a dozen countries have been invited to the ceremony, including SAARC members Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka, along with China, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the UAE, Qatar, Malaysia and Brunei. With several leaders already scheduled to be in India for the AI Summit, representation at the Dhaka event may vary.
Meanwhile, President Macron’s visit to India — which includes talks with Modi in Mumbai before both travel to Delhi for the summit — has further tightened the Prime Minister’s schedule. The convergence of diplomatic engagements underscores India’s busy foreign policy calendar at a time when regional transitions are unfolding rapidly.
As Rahman prepares to take office, attention will now turn to how his government defines its foreign policy priorities — particularly its approach to balancing relations between India, China and other regional powers. For New Delhi, Birla’s presence in Dhaka ensures continuity in engagement, even as the leadership equation in Bangladesh enters a new chapter.
