Bangladesh Election 2026: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla & Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to represent India at Tarique Rahman’s Swearing-in-Ceremony | India News

Sources confirmed to ANI that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead the Indian delegation accompanied by External Affairs Minister Vikram Misri to the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman to be held in Dhaka on February 17.

This high-profile presence signals Prime Minister Modi’s determination to strengthen ties with the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government after its landslide victory in the 2026 elections following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, despite receiving an invitation from Prime Minister Modi that he will not attend due to previous agreements.

India will be represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman. He will be accompanied by External Affairs Minister Vikram Misri: Sources pic.twitter.com/azqtiTwmXz— ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2026

BNP, which won 209 seats, marked a major change with Khaleda Zia’s son Rahman returning to leadership after 17 years of exile, while Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 border seats across West Bengal. Amid concerns over Siliguri Corridor security and delays in TMC fencing, Modi’s post-win call to Rahman reaffirmed bilateral peace and progress.

Bangladesh invited leaders from 13 countries, including Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, China and Saudi Arabia. The swearing-in at the south square of the National Parliament, overseen by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, underlines the post-Awami League constitutional ban on transition and 59.44% voter turnout.

The swearing-in ceremony of the Bangladesh Prime Minister clashed with a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron scheduled to be held in Mumbai on the same day.

BNP foreign policy advisor Humayun Kabir described the outreach as a “goodwill gesture” that prioritizes regional diplomacy. “The region is important to us,” he told WION. “Making this region an influential region is an important part of Tarique Rahman’s foreign policy.”

Ties between Dhaka and New Delhi soured when Sheikh Hasina’s government fell during student-led protests in 2024, sending her into exile in India and paving the way for the interim rule of Mohammed Younis.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had called for congratulations to Rahman after the election results showed New Delhi’s support for a democratic and progressive Bangladesh.