Tarique Rahman Gets PM Modi's Letter After Swearing-In, And An India Invite

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Tarique Rahman on Tuesday and handed over a warm letter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi inviting Bangladesh's newly sworn-in prime minister to India. Additionally, Birla also spoke to Rahman over the phone and conveyed PM Modi's congratulations.

What PM Modi's Letter Said

The letter from PM Modi read, "I extend my warmest congratulations to you on the victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party at the just-concluded parliamentary elections in Bangladesh and on your appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh."

PM Modi's letter also extended an invitation to Rahman, his wife Dr Zubaida and his daughter Zaima to visit India at a "mutually convenient time". 

"A warm welcome awaits you in India," he added in the congratulatory letter.

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PM Modi expressed confidence that Rahman's leadership would guide the country on a path of peace, stability and prosperity, while reaffirming the deep-rooted friendship between India and Bangladesh, founded on shared history, cultural ties and common aspirations.

PM Modi's Condolence Letter To Tarique Rahman Last Year

Last year in December, PM Modi sent a condolence letter to Rahman through External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Rahman's mother, Khaleda Zia's death.

Expressing his condolences in the letter, PM Modi had said, "I warmly recall my meeting and discussions with Begum Sahiba in Dhaka in June 2015".

"She was a leader of rare resolve and conviction and had the distinction of being the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She made many important contributions to the development of Bangladesh, as well as to the strengthening of India-Bangladesh relations," he wrote.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman

Why PM Modi Declined The Invitation

Earlier, the interim government of Bangladesh, headed by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, invited PM Modi to the swearing-in ceremony of Rahman. However, citing prior commitments in Mumbai on the same day with French President Emmanuel Macron, PM Modi declined the invitation.

Birla represented the Government of India at Rahman's oath-taking ceremony.

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"Glad to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka today. India stands ready to support Bangladesh's endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation," Birla posted on X.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, said in a post on X, "Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conveys his greetings to India and PM Narendra Modi to the visiting India Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a courtesy meet following the swearing-in of the new government."

"Speaker Birla conveyed wishes and an invitation to India. Both leaders expressed optimism to work together for the well-being of the people of Bangladesh and India, pursuing a people-centric menu of cooperation", his post added.

India-Bangladesh Relations

The India-Bangladesh ties witnessed a visible downturn under Yunus' interim government, with repeated attacks on minority communities.

India is weighing its next steps with cautious optimism after the decisive electoral verdict in Bangladesh that handed a landslide victory to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), ending a turbulent interim phase and reopening the door for a diplomatic reset between New Delhi and Dhaka.

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The focus now shifts to Rahman, whom Indian officials describe as someone they are "cautiously optimistic" about. While acknowledging past differences with BNP governments, New Delhi believes Rahman may take a more pragmatic diplomatic and political approach, driven by economic realities and regional stability considerations.