Tarique Rahman, chief of the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was sworn in Tuesday as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh, 18 months after the overthrow of the government of Sheikh Hasina.

Rahman, 60, was administered the oath of office at a ceremony held in the South Plaza of the parliament building in Dhaka. The last time the BNP was in power, from 2001 to 2006, Rahman’s mother Khaleda Zia was Prime Minister. She died in December 2025, days after Rahman returned to the country from the UK where he was in self-exile for 17 years.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was among the dignitaries who attended the swearing-in ceremony. Representing India, Birla, in a post on X later, said he had “a constructive meeting” with Rahman. He said he handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying his wishes to Rahman and inviting him to “visit India at the earliest convenience”.

“I extended warm congratulations on behalf of the people of India and reaffirmed our commitment to deepening the enduring partnership between our two neighbouring countries,” Birla said. Earlier, in another post, he said, “India stands ready to support Bangladesh’s endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation.”

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had a “courtesy meeting” with Shafiqur Rahman, leader of the Opposition Jamaat-e-Islami, who, according to the Indian High Commission, “expressed hope for stronger bilateral relations”.