As Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached New Delhi Saturday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi on Sunday (June 9) as the Indian PM for the third time in a row, New Delhi said the presence of leaders from seven countries in South Asia at the event reflects its “highest priority to ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

On her arrival by a Bangladesh Biman Airlines flight, Sheikh Hasina was received at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by Muktesh Pardesh, Secretary in the Indian Foreign Ministry and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman among others.

During her stay in New Delhi, she will have a tete-a-tete with Modi after the swearing-in at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7:20pm on Sunday. 

She will also attend a banquet there to be hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu along with other foreign leaders after the oath-taking event.   

“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 Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

It said the presence of leaders from seven neighbouring countries at the swearing-in ceremony of Indian Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi reflects New Delhi’s “highest priority accorded by India to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.”

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.

BDST: 1436 HRS, JUN 08, 2024
MN/SMS