Om Birla Attends Tarique Rahman’s Oath as Bangladesh PM After BNP Sweep
BNP secures landslide victory, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attends swearing-in to mark deep Indo-Bangladesh ties.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday to represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s newly elected government, following a landslide win by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) under its chairman, Tarique Rahman. The event highlights India’s commitment to democratic processes and strong bilateral relations with its eastern neighbour.
The BNP parliamentary party convened its inaugural meeting after 208 MPs took their oaths at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. During the session, Tarique Rahman was elected the party’s Leader, positioning him to become the Leader of the House and take the official oath as Prime Minister later in the day. The ceremony marks a historic transition, with Bangladesh last witnessing a male Prime Minister nearly 35 years ago.
Several foreign dignitaries are attending the ceremony, including Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Nepalese Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, and the UK’s Indo-Pacific Under-Secretary Seema Malhotra. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu may also attend.
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According to official election results, the BNP won 209 out of 297 declared constituencies, with its allies claiming an additional three seats. Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats, the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance won nine, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) one, and independents captured seven seats. The Election Commission has withheld gazette notifications for Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 following a High Court directive.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that Om Birla’s presence underscores “deep and enduring friendship between the peoples of India and Bangladesh” and welcomes Bangladesh’s transition to an elected government under Rahman. Analysts note that the new administration faces challenges in addressing unrest and rising Islamist extremism that characterized the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus over the past 18 months.
The historic swearing-in of Tarique Rahman is expected to set the stage for policy initiatives aimed at stability, governance reforms, and strengthening democratic institutions, as the BNP-led government takes charge amid high domestic and regional expectations.
Also Read: PM Modi Receives Official Invite To Tarique Rahman’s Oath-Taking Event
