New Delhi: The arrival of distinguished guests for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony has begun, with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina landing in the national capital on Saturday. She was warmly received by Secretary (CPV & OIA) Muktesh Pardeshi at the airport.
PM Modi is set to be sworn in as Prime Minister for the third consecutive term on June 9, as confirmed by the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday. Alongside him, members of his council of ministers will also take their oath on the same day.
"The first distinguished guest has set foot in New Delhi for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh was warmly received by Secy (CPV & OIA) @mukteshpardeshi as she arrived in New Delhi. This visit of one of our most valued partners will further strengthen the close and deep-rooted bonds of friendship," said the Official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, in a post on X.
Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka earlier in the day to attend PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony on Sunday.
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Dhaka for Delhi at 11 am on Saturday, June 8, and will return home at noon on June 10 after attending the swearing-in ceremony of PM Narendra Modi, due to the change in the oath-taking ceremony dates," said M Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh PM's Speech Writer, on Friday.
On Wednesday, PM Modi invited his Bangladeshi counterpart to attend his swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, which Sheikh Hasina accepted.
In a post on X, the Press Minister of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, Shaban Mahmood, revealed that Prime Minister Hasina's visit is in response to an invitation extended by Prime Minister Modi.
Over the years, India and Bangladesh have forged a multifaceted relationship, marked by shared history, culture, and geographical proximity.
Several leaders and heads of state from the neighborhood and Indian Ocean region have been invited as distinguished guests for PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony, reflecting India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy.
"The President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe; President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu; Vice-President of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif; Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina; 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," stated the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in an official statement on Saturday.
Emphasizing the significance of the event, the MEA highlighted, "The visit of these leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his third consecutive term is in keeping with the highest priority accorded by India to its 'Neighbourhood First' policy and 'SAGAR' vision."
Additionally, the MEA mentioned that besides participating in the swearing-in ceremony, the leaders will also attend a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan later in the same evening.
PM Modi's invitation to neighboring leaders reflects India's ongoing efforts to engage with countries in the region. In 2014, he convened leaders from SAARC nations, and in 2019, he invited countries from the BIMSTEC group.
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