Speaker of Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will represent Bangladesh in the swearing-in ceremony of India’s next Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26.
It was learnt that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has a pre-scheduled trip to Japan, and she will leave for Tokyo on May 24 on an official visit .The visit will run through to May 28.
Mr Modi wants to invite all heads of governments of SAARC countries for his swearing-in ceremony on May 26.This would include Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Mr Modi reportedly conveyed this wish of his to President Pranab Mukherjee when he met him on Tuesday.
Mr Modi, who was Tuesday elected leader of the BJP parliamentary party as also the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).He will take oath as India's 14th prime minister on May 26.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said India has invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or her designated representative to attend the ceremony at Mr Modi’s request. He also told an online newspaper that India had invited the prime minister also for a courtesy meeting after the ceremony.
But Mr Alam said the prime minister’s Japan visit had been scheduled long before. “So, the prime minister has designated Speaker for the ceremony.”
