Will PM Modi Attend Tarique Rahman’s Oath Ceremony in Dhaka? BNP Leader Responds

After nearly two years of political uncertainty following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a youth-led uprising in 2024, Bangladesh appears set for a political reset.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a decisive victory in the February 12 national elections, paving the way for Tarique Rahman to assume office as the country’s next prime minister.

Rahman, son of former premier Khaleda Zia, is poised to take over a position once held by his mother. The development is being closely watched in India, particularly amid concerns over recent attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh and Hasina’s continued exile in New Delhi.

The BNP’s return to power after two decades has also raised expectations of a possible recalibration in Delhi-Dhaka ties, with party leaders signalling a conciliatory tone.

What the BNP Leader Said

BNP leader ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be invited to the upcoming swearing-in ceremony, invoking the party’s foreign policy principle of “friends to all, malice to none.”

“I don’t know exactly what the organisers are doing, but hopefully they will invite everyone. He (PM Modi) should be invited. It’s general courtesy,” Milan said, according to ANI.

“I hope the whole world will be with us,” he added, reiterating the BNP’s broader approach to international relations.

Modi’s Message After Rahman’s Victory

Following the BNP’s landslide win, Modi was among the first South Asian leaders to congratulate Rahman.

“I convey my warm congratulations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership,” Modi wrote on X.

The two leaders later spoke by phone, with Modi describing the conversation as “delightful” and reaffirming India’s commitment to bilateral ties.

Focus on Hasina’s Extradition

One of the most sensitive issues likely to shape India-Bangladesh relations under the new government is the status of Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since her departure from Bangladesh.

Soon after the election results, senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed reiterated the party’s demand for Hasina’s extradition.

“The foreign minister has already pursued the matter of her extradition, and we support it,” Ahmed said, according to PTI.

“We have consistently pressed for her extradition in accordance with the law. This is an issue between the foreign ministries of the two countries. We have also urged the government of India to send her back to face trial in Bangladesh,” he added.

Hasina’s legal and political future is expected to remain a key point of discussion between New Delhi and Dhaka as the BNP prepares to form the next government.