Indian Parliament Speaker, Saarc dignitaries to attend Bangladesh cabinet swearing-in
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India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent New Delhi at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s newly elected government in Dhaka on Tuesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the ministry said Birla would attend the inauguration of the government led by Tarique Rahman, chair of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), following the party’s landslide victory in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections.
“The Hon’ble Speaker’s participation at this important event underscores the deep and enduring friendship between the peoples of India and Bangladesh, reaffirming India’s steadfast commitment to the democratic values that bind our two nations,” the statement said.
It added that, as neighbours united by shared history, culture and mutual respect, India welcomed Bangladesh’s transition to an elected government under Rahman’s leadership, whose “vision and values have received an overwhelming mandate of the people”.
The BNP secured an absolute majority in the parliamentary election, paving the way for Rahman to assume office as prime minister. The new cabinet is scheduled to take oath at 4pm on Tuesday at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad.
According to officials, members of parliament will be sworn in earlier in the day, at 10am. Outgoing law adviser Asif Nazrul told reporters at the secretariat on Sunday that the chief election commissioner is expected to administer the oath to the newly elected MPs.
The BNP has indicated that its parliamentary party leader — effectively the prime minister-designate — will be elected around 11.30am or noon on the same day.
The swearing-in of the cabinet in the afternoon is expected to be administered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, according to the law adviser. Holding the ceremony at the parliament’s South Plaza was proposed by the BNP, he added.
Diplomatic attention will focus not only on India’s representation but also on the presence of regional dignitaries. The outgoing chief adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has invited heads of government from 13 countries, including China, India and Pakistan, to attend the ceremony.
Foreign ministers from Saarc member states have also been invited, underscoring the regional significance of the political transition.
As Dhaka prepares for the formal transfer of power, Tuesday’s ceremony is shaping up to be both a domestic milestone and a regional diplomatic moment, signalling the start of a new government under Tarique Rahman amid close scrutiny from neighbouring capitals.