NEW DELHI: Bangladesh is learnt to be in the process of inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several regional leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the country’s next prime minister, Tarique Rahman, scheduled for February 17.
People familiar with the matter said that Dhaka has already communicated its plans to New Delhi. Rahman’s party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has indicated that leaders from several countries in the region would be invited to attend the ceremony.
There has, however, been no official confirmation regarding the invitation so far.
Prime Minister Modi is unlikely to travel to Dhaka on that day as he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on February 17. In view of the scheduling constraints, New Delhi may depute a senior government functionary to represent India at the swearing-in ceremony, sources indicated.
On Friday, Modi held a telephone conversation with Rahman and congratulated him on the BNP’s victory in the recent Bangladesh parliamentary elections.
“I conveyed my best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh,” Modi said after the call.
“As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India’s continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples,” he added.
The developments signal continued diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Dhaka amid a political transition in Bangladesh.
