Dhaka, February 18: Diplomatic activities between India and Bangladesh intensified during the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Bangladesh. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, the opposition leader and Amir of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, for a courtesy visit.
During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary extended his congratulations to Dr. Rahman on his new role and reaffirmed India’s ongoing support for Bangladesh. He emphasized that the India-Bangladesh relationship is rooted in people-to-people connections, with a broad and people-centered scope of cooperation.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman also highlighted the deep civilizational and historical ties between the two nations, expressing hope for strengthening their relationship further.
In a related development, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met with the newly appointed Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman, following the swearing-in ceremony of the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government.
Birla expressed his pleasure at attending the ceremony and stated on X, “India is ready to support Bangladesh’s efforts in building a democratic, progressive, and inclusive nation under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership.”
During the meeting, Birla congratulated Prime Minister Rahman on taking office and extended an invitation to visit India. Both leaders committed to working together for the welfare of the people of India and Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, also shared a statement on X, noting that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conveyed his best wishes to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He mentioned that the cooperation agenda between the two countries would remain people-centered and that they would work together to elevate their mutual relations to new heights.
It is noteworthy that Tarique Rahman, the BNP chairman, took the oath as the 11th Prime Minister of Bangladesh after a decisive victory in the 13th parliamentary elections. With the formation of the new government, there are expectations for renewed momentum in bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh.