Bangladesh invites PM Modi to Tarique Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony

Bangladesh has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman on February 17.

However, at the time Modi is scheduled to be in Mumbai for bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron before travelling to New Delhi to chair the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Summit. Officials indicated that India is likely to be represented at the ceremony by a senior dignitary, potentially a Union Minister, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan or Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Bangladeshi media reports suggested that leaders from at least 12 countries have been invited to the event. These include SAARC members Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka, as well as China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia and Brunei.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay are also expected to travel to India on February 18 to attend the AI summit in New Delhi.

Sources confirmed that the invitation was conveyed through diplomatic channels on February 14 by Bangladesh’s interim adviser Muhammad Yunus. The invitation followed a telephone conversation between Modi and Rahman after the election results, which gave the BNP a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

As per reports, BNP Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir said that all “regional leaders” would be invited to Tuesday’s ceremony.

Macron is scheduled to arrive in India on February 16 and will hold talks with Modi at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on February 17. The two leaders will subsequently travel to New Delhi to participate in the AI Impact Summit.