Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will attend the swearing-in of Tarique Rahman as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh, scheduled for Tuesday, February 17. Birla is accompanied at the event by Foreign Minister Vikram Misri representing India.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other regional leadersto attend the swearing-in of the cabinet following the party’s landslide victory in Bangladesh’s national elections last week.
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This development is an important moment in India-Bangladesh relations under the new political leadership in Dhaka, all the more so since relations between Delhi and Dhaka deteriorated soon after the ouster of Hasina-led Awami League regime on 5 August 2024 and subsequent violence against minorities, especially the Hindu community.
“Arrest the deterioration of relations”
Does Om Birla’s visit mean a break in India-Bangladesh ties? Experts are hopeful. They said the new government in Dhaka would provide an opportunity for both sides to stop the deterioration of relations and start afresh.
“India and Bangladesh have started taking small steps towards normalizing their relations. It started with S Jaishankar’s visit to Dhaka for Khaleda Zia’s funeral with PM Modi’s letter about a ‘new beginning,'” Praveen Donthi, senior analyst, International Crisis Groupsaid LiveMint on January 16.
The outgoing caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was seen in India as less connected to New Delhi’s strategic interests. Delhi has not engaged with Dhaka over the past 18 months, mainly because India views the Yunus government as an unelected government, political analysts said.
“The visit by Speaker Om Birla was preceded by a call between Prime Minister Modi and President-elect Tariq Rahman, signaling the same intent from both sides,” Donthi said.
Humayun Kabir, an adviser to BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, said in interviews after the party’s victory that Bangladesh wants to restore relations with India on a new footing now that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party are no longer in power. Kabir argued that the two nations should work together for “mutual benefit”.
“Change has to come from the mindset in India. Sheikh Hasina and Awami League no longer exist in today’s Bangladesh. People have given a clear verdict in favor of BNP,” Kabir told news agency PTI.
‘Hasa’s removal of power’
New Delhi fears that Hasina’s removal from power in August 2024 has created space for groups hostile to India, amid rising anti-India rhetoric and violence in Bangladesh, according to experts on South Asian politics. Attacks on minorities – including Bangladesh’s Hindu population – have increased tensions, they said.
Last year’s lynching and public burning of 25-year-old Hindu Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh sparked protests in India in New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and other cities, calling for protection of minorities and strong diplomatic action.
Those who follow Bangladesh describe the period as a shift from a “golden era” of cooperation to one marked by suspicion, limited engagement and diplomatic turmoil.
The BNP was one of the two main Bangladeshi political parties that was founded in 1978 President Ziaur RahmanTarique’s father. It is a center-right party emphasizing Bangladeshi nationalism, economic development, and democratic rule after periods of military rule.
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Since its inception, the BNP has formed government several times. Khaleda Zia, former Chairperson BNP, she was the longest serving leader of BNP until her death at the end of 2025. She served three times as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Many see the BNP coming to power as the best option for India. Senior journalist and author Deep Halder calls Birla’s visit to Bangladesh a a complete difference from how relations were under the interim government.
Is Hasina’s release an obstacle?
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India could be a bone of contention.
In an interview with PTI, Kabir described Hasina, who fled to India after the August 2024 uprising, as a “terrorist” responsible for the deaths of more than 1,500 people.
Kabir urged the Indian government to ensure that its territory was not used by Hasina or other Awami League leaders in ways that could affect stability in Bangladesh.
“India must not be seen as complicit in any activities that undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty. Once this is resolved, normal diplomatic cooperation can resume. We are neighbors and should work together for mutual benefit,” he added.
On 26 November 2025, India said it was reviewing the Bangladesh caretaker government’s request for Hasina’s extradition and said it was committed to ensuring the best interests of the people of the country.
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“We remain committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in this country, and will continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders in this regard,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.
Shafqat Munir, a senior fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, told news agency ANI that the first task for both sides would be to rebuild trust and resolve the trust deficit that had developed.
“The messages coming from the Indian leadership are indeed steps in the right direction,” he said
Prime minister Narendra Modi was among the first global leaders to congratulate Tarique Rahman after the BNP’s victory on Friday. In his post in Bengali onX, PM Modi pledged India’s support to a “democratic, progressive and inclusive” neighbor, adding that he looked forward to working closely to strengthen “our multilateral relationship”.
India must not be seen as complicit in any activities that undermine the sovereignty of Bangladesh.
While Birla’s visit could mark the beginning of renewed ties, it would depend on whether domestic factors on both sides and relations with third countries overshadow the initiative, Donthi said.
Key things
- BNP’s victory provides a new opportunity for India-Bangladesh relations.
- Confidence-building measures are essential for the restoration of diplomatic ties.
- Both nations must deal with domestic and third country influences to maintain stability.