An important development has come to light in terms of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh. India’s External Affairs Ministry informed on Sunday that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will attend the swearing-in ceremony held in Dhaka on 17 February. In this ceremony, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tariq Rahman will take oath as Prime Minister. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will also be present with him.
What did the Foreign Ministry say in its statement?
The Ministry of External Affairs said in its statement that India’s participation in this event is a symbol of the strong and historic relations between the two countries. India and Bangladesh are linked by common history, cultural heritage and a strong base of mutual cooperation. The ministry also said that India welcomes the new government formed under the leadership of Tariq Rahman, which has been given a clear mandate by the people of Bangladesh. India hopes that bilateral relations will become stronger with the new government.
This development has come to light at a time when Bangladesh had also sent an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony. According to BNP, leaders of many other countries in the region and the world have also been invited to this program. These include countries like China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan.
In fact, after the political turmoil in Bangladesh in July 2024, there was tension in the relations between India and Bangladesh. At that time, the government of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was out of power and she had gone to India. After this, Dhaka demanded his extradition from India several times. Also, incidents of violence against minorities, especially Hindus, further affected the relations between the two countries.
What do the leaders associated with BNP have to say?
However, now the new government is showing signs of moving towards improving relations with India. Leaders associated with BNP say that both the countries should take relations forward on the basis of mutual respect and cooperation. He believes that if the pending issues are resolved, bilateral cooperation can become normal and strong again.
In the recently held parliamentary elections, BNP performed brilliantly and won 209 seats out of 300. The party has returned to power after almost two decades. According to the Election Commission, Jamaat-e-Islami got 68 seats, while the voting percentage was 59.44. With the formation of the new government, a new chapter is now being expected in regional politics and India-Bangladesh relations.
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