NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the swearing-in ceremony of party chief Tarique Rahman, signalling an attempt to reset ties after a bruising phase in Dhaka–New Delhi relations.
Rahman, Bangladesh’s prime minister-in-waiting, is expected to take office in the coming days after the BNP secured a landslide victory in the 13th national parliamentary elections, handing him a commanding mandate.
Humayun Kabir, Rahman’s foreign policy adviser, said the region would be a priority for the incoming government. “The region is important to us. An important part of Tarique Rahman’s foreign policy is to make this region influential,” Kabir said, framing the invitation to Modi as a “goodwill gesture”.
Relations between Bangladesh and India turned frosty following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, whose government had maintained close ties with New Delhi. Against that backdrop, Modi’s swift outreach to Rahman after the election results was seen as significant. Modi was the first world leader to telephone Rahman, conveying his best wishes and reaffirming India’s commitment to the “peace, progress and prosperity” of both countries.
Rahman has said his government’s foreign policy would be anchored in national interest. “The interest of Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi people comes first,” he said, adding that policy decisions would be guided by that principle.
At a press conference a day after the BNP’s sweeping win, Rahman struck a triumphant yet cautious note, dedicating the victory to citizens who, he said, had “sacrificed for democracy.”