Lok Sabha Speaker Birla Meets Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman, Delivers PM Modi's Letter

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday met Bangladesh's newly sworn-in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and handed over a personal congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, attended the swearing-in ceremony on behalf of PM Modi and the Indian government.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah said in a post on X that PM Tarique Rahman "conveyed his greetings to India and PM Narendra Modi at a courtesy meet following the swearing-in of the new government."

Birla conveyed wishes from India and extended an invitation to the country. "Both leaders expressed optimism to work together for the well-being of the people of Bangladesh and India pursuing a people-centric menu of cooperation," the High Commissioner added.

Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus had invited PM Modi to attend Rahman's swearing-in. However, citing French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Mumbai and the AI Impact Summit in Delhi this week, the PM declined the invitation.

Tarique Rahman, 60, was sworn in as Bangladesh's new Prime Minister by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at the South Plaza—a break from the traditional Bangabhaban venue. This marks Rahman's first term as Prime Minister after returning from 17 years of self-imposed exile in London in December.

The ceremony saw 25 cabinet ministers and 24 state ministers take oath. The new cabinet includes two minority community members—BNP vice president Nitai Roy Chowdhury (Hindu) and Dipen Dewan (Buddhist).

In the February 12 elections, BNP won 209 of 297 seats while Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68. The Awami League did not contest.

Rahman succeeds interim chief Yunus, during whose tenure India-Bangladesh relations had cooled significantly.