Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s diplomatic outreach to Bangladesh
The decision of Government of India to depute Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla to represent India in the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Bangladesh Government after the electoral victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the general election augurs well for the bilateral relationship between the two courtesies and in particular between Parliaments of the respective countries.
In the general election BNP secured two/third majority in the 300 member Parliament and its Chairman Tarique Rahman, the son of Khalida Zia, is poised to be appointed as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It is thoughtful on part of the newly elected Government of Bangladesh to have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi among 13 world leaders for the historic occasion.
The overture to India is well received by New Delhi. Due to the ongoing AI summit which India is hosting, Prime Minister Narendra Madi and External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar are unable to participate in the swearing-in ceremony. Twenty world leaders including President of France Emmanuel Macron, President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva and Prime Minister of Netherlands Dick Schoof are participating in the conference.
Ever since Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, he has been emphasising on South Asian solidarity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already congratulated Mr Tarique Rahman who will be sworn in as the new President of Bangladesh. Prime Minister in his telephonic conversation hoped that Mr Tarique Rahman would be able to fulfil the aspiration of the people of Bangladesh. Political unrest in Bangladesh in recent years has seriously derailed peace, prosperity and development in the country which also affected the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
India not only has a physical contiguity with Bangladesh, but also a historical and civilizational, and cultural convergence. There has been healthy Parliamentary contact and interaction between the two countries which, however, suffered a setback during the political unrest in Bangladesh.
The visit of Speaker of Lok Sabha who occupies an exalted position in the warrant of precedence is poised to reset the relationship between the two countries, their people and their Parliaments. Ministry of External Affairs in a press note said that the visit underscores the deep and enduring between the peoples of India and Bangladesh reaffirming India’s steadfast commitments to democratic values that bind the two countries.
In recent times Speaker Lok Sabha has been quietly pursuing Parliamentary diplomacy as an adjunct of foreign policy. Only in last December he hosted the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding officers Conference which was participated by Presiding officers from Commonwealth Parliaments including the Secretary General of Commonwealth Parliament and President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
The CSPOC was a successful event which was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the historic SamvidhanSadan. A significant highlight of the conference was the slew of bilateral meetings and interactions in which Speaker Lok Sabha Om Birla participated with his peers along with senior Parliamentarians including Dr Shashi Tharoor. The emphasis on Global South was the flavour of the Conference.
The nomination of Om Birla, amid speculation that the Vice President, External Affairs Minister, or another senior Cabinet member might attend the ceremony, is both timely and significant. As the Jatiya Sangsad enters a crucial phase of formation and newly elected Members of Parliament prepare to take their oath, his presence conveys solidarity between the two democracies at a pivotal juncture. With the political process and the reconstruction of parliamentary democracy gaining momentum, such high-level parliamentary engagement carries the promise of strengthened institutional cooperation and reinforced democratic continuity.
It underscores the importance both nations attach to parliamentary diplomacy as a vital pillar of bilateral relations, while affirming respect for Bangladesh’s sovereign constitutional journey. By engaging at the level of presiding officers, the visit emphasises the central role of legislatures in ensuring stable and accountable governance, thereby fostering goodwill, mutual trust, and deeper legislative collaboration between the two neighbouring democracies.
The role of the Presiding officers in promoting Parliamentary diplomacy is not widely known. The Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla ever since he occupied the constitutional position has been leadingumpteen number Parliamentary Delegations abroad and has also participated in IPU and CPA conferences along with the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh. Mr Birla has injected fresh momentum to Parliamentary diplomacy in recent years. Besides the CSPOC, earlier in 2003, he successfully hosted the G-20 Presiding Officers Conference in New Delhi in the wake of India’s Presidency of G-20. Mr Birla in 2018 hosted the India-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Commission.
The Commission is an important institutional mechanism between the two countries. He also participated in the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in June last year which was held in Brasilia in Brazil. India is hosting the BRICS conference this year and Speaker Lok Sabha will also host the BRICS Parliamentary Forum later this year. He has also strengthened Parliamentary Friendship Groups as an adjunct of foreign policy to supplement and complement the role of the executive. It is indeed a matter of speculation if there will be any fresh initiative to revive the South Asia Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference during his visit to Dhaka.
The writer is the Consulting Editor of The Journal of Parliamentary Information and former senior fellow of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
