NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday on Thursday, as Dhaka seeks to reset ties with New Delhi.“Warmest birthday wishes to Prime Minister @narendramodi. Wishing you many happy returns of the day. May your dedicated service to the people of India always be accompanied by good health and high spirit,” Rahman posted on X.PM Modi responded by thanking Rahman for his message.“Thank you, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, for your warm wishes. I deeply appreciate your kind words,” he said.The exchange comes at a time when Bangladesh is seeking to move away from the strained ties of the previous 18 months. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on Sunday that Dhaka wanted to “reset” its relationship with India and establish a new engagement centred on mutual interests.Relations had deteriorated during Muhammad Yunus’s interim administration, which came to power after the Sheikh Hasina government was toppled in August 2024. Hasina left Bangladesh for India after her ouster, and her continued stay there has remained a major point of friction, with Dhaka repeatedly seeking her extradition.Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party won the February 12 election, held without Hasina’s Awami League, which has since been disbanded. His government has maintained its demand for Hasina’s extradition, while the former prime minister has said she plans to return to Bangladesh to face legal proceedings.Dhaka has also indicated that Rahman could visit India once the two governments agree on a suitable time and schedule.
Greeting from across nation and beyond
Rahman’s message was among birthday greetings sent to PM Modi by political leaders, foreign governments, diplomats and public figures on Thursday.Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his wishes and, according to the Russian Embassy in New Delhi, described PM Modi as a leader with “great authority on the global stage”. Putin also thanked Modi for the “warm and cordial welcome and hospitality” during his recent visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit.Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the Prime Minister as a “friend” and said she looked forward to further strengthening India-Italy relations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Modi’s leadership had “transformed India into a world power” and described the India-Israel relationship as an “unprecedented partnership”.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
The US Embassy in India also conveyed birthday greetings on behalf of President Donald Trump.Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, joined the birthday wishes.PM Modi was born on September 17, 1950, in Vadnagar, Gujarat. He became Gujarat chief minister in 2001 and prime minister in 2014, and is set to complete 25 years in public office on October 7.The BJP has launched a month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ to mark the occasion, with service and public outreach programmes across the country. In Delhi, about 1.25 lakh earthen lamps were lit at Kartavya Path as part of the ‘Ashirwad Ka Diya’ campaign.Several film personalities, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Mahesh Babu and Kamal Haasan, also wished the prime minister.
