Kathmandu. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman is set to take oath as Bangladesh’s prime minister after the general elections. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on February 17 at the South Plaza of the Parliament House in Dhaka.
Chief Adviser to the interim government Muhammad Yunus has sent invitations to the top leaders of 13 countries including Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Qatar, Malaysia and Brunei.
The invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumes special significance. The BNP leadership has put forward the policy of “friendship with all, no enmity with none”. This indicates that the relationship with India will be taken forward in a new way. Modi’s presence will further strengthen India’s influence in South Asia and its partnership with Bangladesh. For India, cooperation with Bangladesh in areas such as border security, trade, energy and river management is expected to be important.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Tariq Rehman on his victory in the Lok Sabha elections. This strengthens your chances of accepting the invitation. Some analysts have suggested that India will decide whether to send a high-level envoy based on security and religious sensitivities, or whether the prime minister will go personally.
If India is absent, countries such as Pakistan, Turkey or China are likely to increase their influence. Therefore, India’s message of presence can be strategically beneficial.
The interim government in Bangladesh has strongly opposed India’s political patronage to ousted Prime Minister Shesh Hasina. Diplomatic relations were being strained. The Bangladesh national cricket team recently boycotted the World Cup in India, saying it would not take part in it.
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be attended by the heads of state of South Asia.
