Bangladesh has extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other 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 on Saturday. It is learnt that Dhaka has already communicated its plan to New Delhi. However, there has been no official confirmation so far.
Rahman’s party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has indicated that leaders from several countries in the region are likely to be invited to the ceremony.ย According to the BNP, Rahman will be sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh on February 17.
The BNP said invitations have been sent to 13 countries, including India, to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The other invited nations are China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan.
Will PM Modi attend swearing-in ceremony?
Prime Minister Modi is unlikely to travel to Dhaka as he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on February 17. According to people familiar with the matter, New Delhi may instead be represented by a senior government functionary at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s next prime minister.
Earlier on Friday, PM Modi spoke to Rahman over the phone and congratulated the BNP chief on his party’s remarkable victory in the Bangladesh parliamentary elections. “I conveyed my best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh,” PM 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.
Bangladesh elections 2026
Bangladesh held its 13th parliamentary elections on Thursday across 299 of the country’s 300 constituencies, with results from two seats withheld.
The BNP registered a landslide victory, winning 209 of the 297 declared seats, paving the way for its return to power after a gap of nearly two decades. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami, considered close to Pakistan, emerged as the second-largest force with 68 seats.
The Awami League, led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was barred from contesting the elections. The polls recorded a voter turnout of 59.44 per cent.
The elections were closely watched as they took place amid a prolonged phase of political uncertainty and fragile security conditions. The vote followed months of instability triggered by student-led protests that culminated in the end of Hasina’s 15-year rule in August 2024, a period that also saw reports of widespread attacks on minorities, adding to domestic and international concern over Bangladesh’s political transition.
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