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Bold opening: Bangladesh’s new prime minister Tarique Rahman was sworn in amid a season of political shifts, and the moment came with formal gestures of goodwill from India.
Om Birla, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, met Tarique Rahman and delivered a personal congratulatory letter from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bangladesh’s high commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, shared on X that Rahman extended his greetings to Modi at a courtesy meeting after the swearing-in of the new government.
In the exchange, Birla conveyed India’s best wishes and extended an invitation to Rahman and his government. The two leaders expressed optimism about deepening cooperation that centers on the people of both nations, with a shared menu of people-friendly initiatives.
Birla was accompanied by India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, as he attended Rahman’s oath-taking ceremony on behalf of Modi and the Indian government.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh’s interim government chief Md Yunus had invited Modi to attend Rahman’s swearing-in. Modi, however, declined due to prior commitments—namely the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Mumbai and an AI Summit in Delhi scheduled for the week.
Rahman, a senior BNP leader and the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, was sworn in as Bangladesh’s new prime minister on Tuesday. This marks a turning point after nearly 18 months of political volatility under the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
In a break with protocol, President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at the South Plaza rather than the traditional Bangabhaban venue.
Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December after about 17 years in self-imposed exile in London, and this is his first term as prime minister. He succeeds Yunus, who had led the country since August 2024 following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina–led Awami League government.
Tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi cooled during Yunus’s tenure, setting a different tone for the new administration’s regional engagement.
Earlier on the same day, BNP lawmakers elected Rahman as leader of their parliamentary party. At the ceremony, President Shahabuddin also administered oaths to 25 cabinet ministers and 24 state ministers. The guest list included representatives from neighboring countries, notably India and Pakistan.
The new cabinet includes two ministers from minority communities: Nitai Roy Chowdhury, a Hindu, who serves as BNP vice president, and Dipen Dewan, a Buddhist. In a notable staffing shift, outgoing interim regime security adviser Khalilur Rahman was brought back as a technocrat minister, while some senior BNP figures were not retained.
In the context of the February 12 general elections, the BNP secured 209 of 297 seats, with Jamaat-e-Islami winning 68 seats. The Awami League did not participate in the polls, which followed a long spell of political uncertainty and student-led protests in August 2024 that contributed to the government’s collapse.
Thought-provoking note: With a cabinet that includes minority representatives and shifts in political power, how do you think this new administration will shape Bangladesh–India relations in the near term? Do you foresee more collaboration on regional security, economic development, or cultural exchange? Share your views in the comments.
