Bangladesh PM Rahman’s visit to India put on hold
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first visit to India has been put on hold amid disputes over former head of government Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India. As Al Jazeera English reports, Dhaka said that Hasina’s August 5 press conference had worsened the atmosphere for the trip and that favorable conditions needed to be created for the visit.
New Delhi invited Rahman for a separate visit this month ahead of the BRICS summit scheduled for next month, which India currently chairs. At the same time, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that representatives of the two countries had been holding talks for several weeks in an attempt to find a possible solution. The prospects for the trip currently remain uncertain.
Reactions from Dhaka and New Delhi
Hasina spoke virtually at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi on August 5, the second anniversary of her removal from power. During the event, she said that she intended to return to Bangladesh. The Indian side said it had not been involved in organizing the press conference, but this did not remove Dhaka’s objections.
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Rahman’s foreign affairs adviser Humayun Kabir said that Bangladesh was in no hurry to arrange the prime minister’s trip and was determining what kind of relationship India sought with the newly elected government. He mentioned Dhaka’s request for Hasina’s extradition. Earlier, New Delhi said it was considering the request under the established procedure. An extradition treaty is in force between the countries, providing an exception for political cases.
Extradition and other disagreements
Dhaka is seeking the surrender of Hasina, who, according to Al Jazeera English, was sentenced to death in absentia in November 2025. Bangladesh’s government views her political speeches as interference in the country’s internal affairs. In August, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the Indian authorities to speed up consideration of the extradition request for Hasina and other individuals whom the ministry called fugitive criminals.
Among other sources of tension, the outlet cites India’s intention to build a fence along the 4,096-kilometer border, as well as deportations of people whom New Delhi considers illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Dhaka accused India of moving people across the border without diplomatic verification. New Delhi is also sensitive to Bangladesh’s rapprochement with Pakistan after a long period of tense relations between those countries.
