PM Sheikh Hasina reaches New Delhi to join Modi’s oath-taking ceremony

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday reached New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as the prime minister for a third consecutive term.

She is visiting Indian capital to join the oath-taking ceremony at her Indian counterpart’s invitation.

A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage members landed at the Palam Air Force Station, the VVIP airport, here at 11:51 am (local time).

Earlier, the flight departed from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 10:15 am.

The prime minister was received by a high-level Indian delegation and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman at the Palam airport.

During her stay in New Delhi, Sheikh Hasina will hold a tete-a-tete (one-to-one meeting) with Narendra Modi after joining the oath-taking ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhaban at 7:20pm on Sunday.

Later, she will attend the state dinner hosted by the Indian president.

The Bangladesh premier will also attend various programmes in New Delhi on Sunday.

She will arrive at the Palam Air Force Station at 5pm on Monday (New Delhi time) to leave the Indian capital and is scheduled to reach Dhaka at 8pm (BD time) the same day.

Earlier on Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited his Bangladesh counterpart to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his government during a conversation over telephone. Sheikh Hasina accepted the invitation.

Modi is going to take oath on June 9 as the BJP-led NDA won 293 seats while the opposition INDIA bloc secured 234 seats in the 18th Lok Sabha elections.

World leaders including Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal are set to attend the function, which will witness a record presence of over 8,000 dignitaries.

The Bangladesh prime minister was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Modi, reflecting the warmth and personal rapport between the two leaders.