Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in New Delhi on Saturday ahead of Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on Sunday. Modi will become the Indian PM for a record third time after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a majority in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Modi will be sworn in as Prime Minister on Sunday, his third consecutive term as Prime Minister. Hasina left Dhaka on a special flight at around 11 am on Saturday and will be in the national capital till June 9. She will return home on June 10.
Earlier, Hasina extended her best wishes to the nominated Indian Prime Minister. To which Modi replied by saying that India and Bangladesh have historic relations, which have seen unprecedented growth in the last decade. He said, “I look forward to working together to further strengthen our people-centric partnership.” According to Bangladeshi High Commission press secretary Shaban Mahmud, the two leaders are expected to have an important meeting on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony. He said that our PM Sheikh Hasina has been invited by PM Narendra Modi and she has accepted the invitation. There should be an important meeting between the two leaders, although there is no other scheduled program.
The BJP-led NDA crossed the majority mark in the 18th Lok Sabha elections by winning 293 seats while the opposition India Bloc secured 234 seats. Earlier, the swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to be held on June 8. Several leaders from South Asian countries have been invited to attend the historic inauguration. Among the leaders expected to attend PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony are Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu, Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay and Seychelles Vice President Ahmed Afeef.
