PM reaches New Delhi to attend Modi's oath taking as prime minister

Prime Minister Sheikh reached at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi by a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight to attend the oath-taking ceremony of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi tomorrow.

Hasina was received at the airport by Muktesh Pardesh, secretary in Indian foreign ministry, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman, among others.

During her stay in New Delhi, Hasina is likely to have a tete-a-tete with Modi after the swearing-in at Rashtrapati Bhaban at 7:20pm tomorrow, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

She is also expected to attend a banquet to be hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan after the oath-taking by Modi. 

India today said the presence of leaders from seven neighbouring countries in South Asia at the swearing-in ceremony of Modi reflects New Delhi's "highest priority accorded by India to its 'Neighbourhood First' policy".

The swearing-in ceremony of Modi and the Council of Ministers following the recent parliamentary elections is scheduled on June 9, 2024.

"On the occasion, leaders from India's neighbourhood and Indian Ocean region have been cordially invited as distinguished guests," the Ministry of External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

The MEA statement said that besides Hasina, President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu, Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay, have accepted the invitation to attend the oath-taking of Modi.

Other than participating in the swearing-in ceremony, the foreign leaders will attend a banquet to be hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the same evening.

Muizzu was a surprise addition to the list of invitees to Modi's oath-taking, especially amid the strained ties between India and the Maldives since his election last year on the back of an "India Out" campaign

Muizzu has taken a range of steps to push his country closer to China like forcing India to recall more than 85 military personnel who were stationed in the Indian Ocean archipelago to operate two helicopters and an aircraft mainly used for medical evacuations and humanitarian relief operations.

He has also signed agreements with Turkey and China for the supply of food items and defence equipment in a bid to cut dependence on India.