Prime Minister Modi congratulated Prime Minister Tariq Rehman immediately after the election results on February 13. file | Photo credit: The Hindu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory letter to Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister Tariq Rahman has underlined India’s support for a “democratic, progressive and inclusive” Bangladesh, the External Affairs Ministry said on Friday (Feb 20, 2026).
Prime Minister Modi congratulated Tariq Rahman, who was appointed as the Prime Minister immediately after the election results on February 13. Later, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Prime Minister and handed over the letter to PM Modi.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the letter “underlines India’s commitment to support a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh”.
“Building on the warm and historic ties between the two countries, India looks forward to further strengthening our multifaceted bilateral ties with Bangladesh,” Jaiswal said. India’s support for the “unification” of Bangladesh takes on particular significance because the latest elections did not include ousted PM Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. However, after the elections, several reports indicated that local level offices of the Awami League were reopened in different parts of Bangladesh. These are meant to be local programs and not carried forward by the central leadership of the Awami League.
Published – February 20, 2026 10:54 pm IST
