Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the February 17 swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s next prime minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, the external affairs ministry said on Sunday, even as the Opposition has moved a no-trust motion against him. It is learnt that Bangladesh had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the ceremony of the newly elected government led by Rahman. ADVERTISEMENTAccording to media sources, Modi had been formally invited but is unlikely to travel due to prior commitments in Mumbai alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. Rahman led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to a spectacular victory in Bangladesh's parliamentary polls. "As neighbours united by a shared history, culture, and mutual respect, India welcomes Bangladesh's transition to an elected government under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, whose vision and values have received an overwhelming mandate of the people," it said.

Source: The Telegraph February 15, 2026 14:27 UTC