Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at Tarique Rahman's swearing-in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday.
In a significant diplomatic outreach, the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, invited heads of government from 13 countries - India, China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan - to attend the oath ceremony.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to the event, but he was unable to attend due to prior commitments in Mumbai.
On Birla's participation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "The 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 oath to Tarique Rahman - the chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - will be administered by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, underscoring the constitutional transition after the general election.
"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 added.
The ceremony is expected to take place at the Southern Plaza of the Bangladesh Parliament House.
Rahman will take over from an interim government that has steered Bangladesh since the student-led uprising ended the iron-fisted rule of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
The success of BNP chief Rahman marks a remarkable turnaround for a man who only returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile in Britain, far from Dhaka's political storms.
The BNP alliance won 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, according to the Electoral Commission.
