NEW DELHI, Feb 17– Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Pakistan’s Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Nepalese Foreign Minister Balananda Sharma will be among the foreign dignitaries attending the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh’s new prime minister on Tuesday.
The new government, led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman, will take the oath of office, which will be administered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament).
The Maldives president will be in Dhaka on Tuesday, while Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel was scheduled to arrive on Monday, the United News of Bangladesh reported.
Nepal will be represented by its Foreign Affairs Minister Bala Nanda Sharma. The minister’s visit to Dhaka reflects Nepal’s commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations and deepen the bonds of cooperation with Bangladesh, the Nepalese Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
India is sending its parliament’s lower house, Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla, to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Birla’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,” India’s External Affairs Ministry said in a press release on Sunday.
Sri Lanka will be represented by its Health and Mass Media Minister, Nalinda Jayatissa.
Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Monday that the country will be represented by Iqbal, as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is away on an overseas trip.
“Pakistan’s participation in the ceremony reflects its support for Bangladesh’s democratic process and underscores its commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries,” the ministry statement said.
South Asian leaders have warmly congratulated Tarique Rahman and his party on their landslide victory in Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections held on Thursday.
Interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is widely praised for his leadership after a mass uprising brought down the unpopular Sheikh Hasina regime in August 2024.
Yunus delivered a farewell address to his staff at his office in Dhaka’s Tejgaon area on Monday as the nation of 175 million prepares to welcome its new elected government.
