India Sends Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to Bangladesh's Swearing-in Ceremony

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla is set to represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman on February 17 as the country’s Prime Minister . Bangladesh’s BNP had originally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the ceremony. According to a report by the Indian Express, PM Modi had to pass on the invitation as he had scheduled meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai at the time of the ceremony. Macron and Modi will meet on February 17 in the afternoon for bilateral meetings, before the French President travels to Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The decision to send Om Birla as an Indian delegate to Bangladesh was taken earlier today on Sunday and was notified through a release published by the Ministry of External Affairs. As per a report by The Indian Express, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s government, Professor Muhammad Yunus had invited the heads of government from 13 countries to be part of the swearing in ceremony. The list of invited countries includes China, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, and Bhutan. Bangladesh Parliament’s newly-elected members will be sworn in on the morning of February 17, and Rahman along with the Cabinet members will be sworn in the evening. The ceremony follows Rahman led BNP’s historic win in Bangladesh’s recent parliamentary election. Conducted on February 12, the recent polls marked the first exercise of universal franchise to take place in Bangladesh since the August 2024 uprising that ended the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina. The results indicate a sweeping transformation of Bangladesh’s parliament. The Tarique Rahman-led BNP secured 212 seats in the 300-seat parliament (winning 209 individually), crossing the two-thirds majority mark. Defying boycott calls from the ousted Awami League (which was barred from contesting), the voter turnout reached 60%—a sharp increase from the 42% recorded in the 2024 polls. In a major political realignment, the Jamaat-e-Islami alliance has emerged as the principal opposition with 77 seats, a historic high for the party. The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday issued a statement naming Om Birla as the Indian delegate selected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Tarique Rahman. “Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, will represent the Government of India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh led by Tarique Rahman, Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, in Dhaka on February 17, 2026,” the MEA said. As per the official statement, the Lok Sabha speaker’s participation at this important event underscores the deep and enduring friendship between the peoples of India and Bangladesh, reaffirming India’s steadfast commitment to the democratic values that bind our two nations.” “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 of the people,” the MEA said. While PM Modi was the first world leader to congratulate Rahman on the election win suggesting an improvement in India-Bangladesh ties, several serious matters are yet to be addressed in the bilateral forum. The BNP has already indicated it will formally request the extradition of Sheikh Hasina, who remains in exile in India and was sentenced to death in absentia by a war crimes tribunal in November 2025. India remains vocal about the safety of Bangladesh’s Hindu population. PM Modi’s congratulatory message specifically emphasized a “progressive and inclusive” Bangladesh, a subtle reference to protecting religious minorities. With the Ganga Water Treaty set to expire in December 2026, the new government has listed its renewal and the cessation of “violence fulled killings” as top priorities.