Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday represented India at the swearing-in ceremony of Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, where he personally delivered a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi inviting the newly elected leader to visit India at the earliest opportunity.
Birla conveyed Modi’s best wishes to Rahman, who assumed office nearly two years after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down following mass protests. Hasina is currently living in self-exile in India.
Rahman and his Cabinet took oath after the February 12 election delivered a decisive mandate to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which secured a two-thirds majority and returned to power. The new prime minister had returned to Dhaka ahead of the polls after 17 years in exile in London.
Modi’s Outreach Signals Diplomatic Thaw
Modi was among the first world leaders to congratulate Rahman after his electoral victory, a gesture widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions that had marked ties between New Delhi and Dhaka during Bangladesh’s interim administration.
In a post on X, Birla said he had “just concluded a constructive meeting” with Rahman and handed over a personal letter from Modi. The letter conveyed the Indian prime minister’s wishes and extended an invitation to visit India at his “earliest convenience”.
“I extended warm congratulations on behalf of the people of India and reaffirmed our commitment to deepening the enduring partnership between our two neighbouring countries,” Birla wrote.
The message echoed Modi’s February 13 post on X, in which he said he was “delighted” to speak with Rahman and congratulated him on the “remarkable victory” in the Bangladesh elections. Modi also reaffirmed India’s commitment to peace, progress and prosperity for both nations, describing the two countries as close neighbours bound by deep historical and cultural ties.
‘Bangladesh First’ to Shape Foreign Policy
Even as diplomatic courtesies were exchanged, Rahman made clear that his government would be guided by national priorities.
Responding to a question on future India-Bangladesh relations, Rahman said the country’s foreign policy would be driven by the interests of Bangladesh and its people. He underlined that a “Bangladesh First” approach would determine bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries.
