Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Indian Envoy Meets Bangladesh PM Amid Sheikh Hasina Row
India and Bangladesh are two neighbouring countries that want to be good friends.
Recently, they had a disagreement about a former leader of Bangladesh named Sheikh Hasina.
She used to be Bangladesh's prime minister, but she left the country in 2024 and has been living in India.
From New Delhi, she gave a video speech in which she said she wanted to go back to Bangladesh in December.
The leaders of Bangladesh were upset by what she said and complained to India.
India said it did not organise her speech and does not agree with her words.
To calm things down, India's diplomat, Dinesh Trivedi, visited Bangladesh's prime minister, Tarique Rahman, for a friendly talk in Dhaka.
Bangladesh's prime minister was also invited to a big meeting of countries called the BRICS summit in September.
Both countries hope that talking to each other will help solve their problems.
Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on Monday for a courtesy call, the first meeting between them since the latest diplomatic row erupted.
The row stems from former PM Sheikh Hasina's August 5 virtual media address in New Delhi, in which she criticised Bangladesh's leadership and said her December homecoming would be "a duty" to the people.
Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry registered a strong protest, calling the event an affront to its sovereignty, while India said the programme was organised by a private entity, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia, and that it had "no involvement" and did not endorse the views expressed.
Before the PM meeting, Trivedi met Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, and said he was confident that problems would be solved through dialogue.
India has invited Rahman to September's BRICS summit as BIMSTEC chair, while Bangladesh continues to seek Hasina's extradition; she faces a death sentence ordered in November 2025 over the 2024 unrest.
- Who
- Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina at the centre of the dispute
- What
- A courtesy call aimed at easing a diplomatic row over Sheikh Hasina's August 5 media address from New Delhi and strengthening bilateral ties ahead of the BRICS summit
- When
- Monday, August 10, 2026, days after Hasina's August 5 address in New Delhi
- Where
- Dhaka, Bangladesh, where Trivedi called on Rahman; Hasina's disputed event was held in New Delhi
- Why
- Dhaka objected to Hasina's political remarks from Indian soil and wants her to face legal proceedings, while India is seeking to deepen engagement with the new Bangladeshi leadership through dialogue
India's Position
Bangladesh's Position
Hasina's media event
India's Position
India said the event was organised by a private entity, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia, and that New Delhi had 'no involvement' and did not endorse the views expressed; MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that the government neither sponsored nor participated in it.
Bangladesh's Position
Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry registered a strong protest, calling the event an 'affront to its sovereignty' and 'deeply hurtful to people's sentiment', and said Hasina's remarks complicated bilateral cooperation; it sought clarification from New Delhi.
Hasina's extradition and return
India's Position
India has so far declined to hand Hasina over and seeks to distinguish its relationship with the Bangladeshi state from its position on her as an individual, while continuing to work with the government in Dhaka.
Bangladesh's Position
Bangladesh has repeatedly sought Hasina's extradition to face legal proceedings; she faces a death sentence from a special tribunal. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said India 'cannot play the Hasina card and seek friendly relations with Bangladesh; the two are contradictory'.
- Indian High Commissioner
- Dinesh Trivedi
- Bangladesh Prime Minister
- Tarique Rahman
- Meeting
- Courtesy call in Dhaka on August 10, 2026
- Disputed event
- Sheikh Hasina's virtual media address on August 5, 2026, at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia, New Delhi
- India's position
- Event organised by a private entity; no involvement or endorsement of views
- Bangladesh's protest
- Event described as an 'affront to its sovereignty'
- Hasina's legal status
- Death sentence ordered by Bangladesh's special tribunal in November 2025 over the 2024 unrest
- BRICS summit
- September 12-13, New Delhi; Rahman invited as BIMSTEC chair
Sources
India-Bangladesh Reset In Focus: Dinesh Trivedi To Meet Tarique Rahman Amid Sheikh Hasina Row
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