Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received an invitation from Bangladesh to attend the swearing-in ceremony of new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, whose party swept the country’s first general election after the dramatic political change in 2024. The oath ceremony is scheduled for 17th February at the South Plaza of the National Parliament in Dhaka.
#BREAKING | Prime Minister Narendra Modi Receives Invite For Tarique Rahman's Oath Ceremony On February 17
— NDTV (@ndtv) February 15, 2026
NDTV's @MickyGupta84 Brings You More Details pic.twitter.com/eTn2BuFkGH
The invitation was extended by Chief Adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus, who has invited leaders from 13 countries to be part of the event. Apart from India, the guest list includes China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to attend. India has not yet officially confirmed whether PM Modi will travel to Dhaka.
Rahman, who leads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is set to return to power after nearly two decades. The party won 209 out of 297 seats in the 300-member Parliament, well above the majority mark. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats and will sit in the opposition.
The Awami League, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was not allowed to contest the polls. Voter turnout stood at around 59%. A referendum on governance reforms was also held along with the election, and it was approved by voters.
This election was the first since mass protests in 2024 forced Hasina to step down. She later travelled to India, where she is currently staying. Bangladesh has sentenced her to death in connection with deaths during the protests and has sought her return.
Soon after the results were announced, PM Modi spoke to Rahman over the phone and congratulated him on the victory. In a post on X, Modi said he had conveyed his best wishes and support as Rahman prepares to take charge.
He also underlined the deep historical and cultural links between the two neighbouring countries and said India remains committed to peace, progress and prosperity for both nations. In another message, he expressed hope of working together to push forward shared development goals.
Thank you very much, Honourable @narendramodi. We greatly appreciate your kind acknowledgment of Mr. Tarique Rahman’s leadership in securing the BNP’s decisive win in the national elections. This outcome reflects the trust and confidence the people of Bangladesh have placed in… https://t.co/hJAOguIvKZ
— Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP (@bdbnp78) February 14, 2026
The BNP publicly thanked Modi for his message. In its response to X, the party appreciated his acknowledgement of Rahman’s leadership and said it looks forward to building a relationship based on mutual respect and sensitivity to each other’s concerns. It added that both sides share a common interest in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Speaking in Dhaka earlier, senior BNP leader ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan said he hoped all regional leaders, including PM Modi, would be invited to the ceremony. He described it as a matter of normal diplomatic courtesy and said the party believes in the principle of being “friends to all, malice to none.”
Rahman, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and the late President Ziaur Rahman, had spent 17 years in self-imposed exile in London before returning to active politics. In his first comments on relations with India after the election, he said Bangladesh’s national interest would guide its foreign policy. He added that his government aims to maintain balanced ties with India, China and Pakistan, and does not see any country as a “master.”
As Dhaka prepares for the swearing-in ceremony, attention is now on whether PM Modi will attend the event in person, a move that could signal the next phase of India-Bangladesh ties under the new leadership.
