Dhaka: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Vikram Misri, India’s Foreign Secretary, are scheduled to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman on behalf of the Indian government Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to attend because of a previously scheduled engagement with Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on the same day, according to officials familiar with the arrangements.
The decision to send the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the country’s top diplomat signals India’s intent to remain closely engaged with Bangladesh’s incoming government as both sides seek to rebuild ties following months of turbulence.
The oath-taking ceremony for Rahman and his new cabinet is expected to draw regional and international attention. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, has invited heads of government from 13 countries to attend.
Those invited include Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan, according to officials briefed on the preparations.
The oath will be administered by the Chief Election Commissioner, AMM Nasiruddin.
On the morning of 17 February, the newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) will take their oath of office. Later in the evening, the new cabinet will be formed and sworn in.
Modi earlier congratulated Rahman on his appointment and spoke to him over the phone, signalling New Delhi’s willingness to work with the new leadership in Dhaka as it charts the next phase of bilateral relations. An invitation was extended to Modi Saturday evening.
(Edited by Shashank Kishan)
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