2 weeks ago
Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman Likely to Visit India August 20-25
The leader of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is planning his first visit to India since he took office in February.
The two countries are trying to pick dates for the trip, probably between August 20 and 25.
A newspaper called The Daily Star says the visit is likely, based on people who know about the talks.
India's government has not officially confirmed the visit yet.
The trip is complicated because Bangladesh and India are disagreeing about a former leader named Sheikh Hasina.
Hasina has been living in India since big student protests pushed her out of power in 2024.
Bangladesh wants India to send Hasina back so she can face its courts, and says this is very important to them.
Hasina gave a press talk from India on August 5 that made Bangladesh angry, but India says it had nothing to do with that event.
Both countries are still talking and hoping to fix their differences.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is likely to make his first official visit to India between August 20 and 25, with exact dates still under discussion, according to The Daily Star citing diplomatic sources.
Two schedules are under consideration — August 20-21 and August 21-22 — and final dates are expected after Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi resumes his duties in Dhaka; India's MEA has not confirmed the visit.
Rahman's government has linked the trip to the Hasina issue, saying it would be difficult for him to visit India unless Delhi gives a cogent response on next steps for the extradition of former PM Sheikh Hasina.
During a meeting on August 10, Bangladesh expressed 'hope' that India will expedite Hasina's extradition, and Trivedi met PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on August 11.
Tensions stem from Hasina's August 5 virtual press conference in New Delhi — where she announced she may return to Bangladesh in December — which Dhaka protested; India said it neither organized nor endorsed the event.
- Who
- Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi, and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
- What
- Rahman's likely first official visit to India between August 20-25, with dates under discussion amid tensions over Sheikh Hasina's extradition
- Where
- Between Bangladesh (Dhaka) and India (New Delhi)
- When
- Reported in mid-August 2026; proposed visit window of August 20-25, with Trivedi meeting Modi on August 11 and Rahman in Dhaka on August 10
- Why
- To arrange a bilateral engagement despite diplomatic tensions over Hasina's presence in India and her August 5 press conference
Bangladesh's Position
India's Position
Extradition of Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh's Position
Rahman conveyed to Trivedi that Hasina's extradition is a core issue; Dhaka said it would be difficult for him to visit India unless Delhi gives a cogent response on next steps for her extradition.
India's Position
India views Hasina as a political fugitive and asylum seeker and says that if she returns on her own accord there is little India can do except appeal for due process and justice.
Hasina's August 5 press conference
Bangladesh's Position
Dhaka strongly objected to the event, put the visit talks on hold, and lodged a protest through Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman with NSA Ajit Doval, noting it fell on the second anniversary of the 2024 student-led uprising.
India's Position
India said the event was organized by a private media entity, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia, with no government involvement or endorsement of any views expressed.
Reaction to the fallout
Bangladesh's Position
Bangladesh officials say India 'underestimated' Dhaka's reaction to Hasina's statements, made when wounds from her government's collapse are still raw.
India's Position
Indian officials feel Bangladesh 'overreacted' to a press conference.
Key facts
- Proposed visit window
- August 20-25 (schedules of August 20-21 or August 21-22 under consideration; The Indian Express reported August 21 had been proposed)
- Type of visit
- First official visit to India by PM Tarique Rahman (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) since assuming office in February
- Reported by
- The Daily Star, citing diplomatic sources
- Official confirmation
- None from India's Ministry of External Affairs
- Recent diplomatic meetings
- Trivedi met Rahman in Dhaka on August 10 and PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on August 11
- Extradition demand
- Bangladesh expressed 'hope' India will expedite Sheikh Hasina's extradition; Dhaka calls it a core issue
- Hasina's August 5 event
- Virtual press conference in New Delhi organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia; MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the event was organized by a 'private media entity' with no government involvement
- Hasina's status
- In India since her 2024 ouster by a student-led uprising against her Awami League government; announced plans to return to Bangladesh, possibly in December, saying she may be killed on return
Quotes
Bangladesh Prime Minister's Office
Official statement from Bangladesh's Prime Minister's Office
“Both sides have been interested in a bilateral visit, but the schedule was an issue. After weighing various schedules, the top officials of both countries have come close to a schedule between August 20 and 25.”
freepressjournal.in
republicworld.com
“"The interaction you refer to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it. Neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum."”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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