If the visit goes ahead as planned, it would be Rahman’s first trip to India as Bangladesh’s prime minister and could well prove to be a landmark moment in relations between the two neighbours.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to visit New Delhi in the second half of next week, with preparations already underway in both capitals, sources in Delhi and Dhaka told NDTV.
Rahman’s return to power has altered the political equation in Bangladesh and also compelled India to recalibrate its approach to Dhaka. There have been some signs of renewed diplomatic contact in recent times. Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Khalilur Rahman visited New Delhi in April and held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Dhaka formally demanded her extradition from New Delhi after a Bangladeshi tribunal sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity. Each government will have to find a way to discuss the dispute without letting it derail the broader relationship.
Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024, the two countries have seriously strained their relations. Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met Rahman in Dhaka on August 10 as the two sides discussed ways to improve the atmosphere between the two countries recently. Hasina left Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, and has been in India since.
But the new BNP government has said it wants to work with India. India has said the request is being examined through the proper legal and diplomatic channels. Sources said the issue of extradition also came up during the recent meeting between Rahman and the Indian high commissioner.
Since then, New Delhi and Dhaka have had several differences, including over Hasina’s presence in India and Bangladesh’s request to extradite her.
Modi and Foreign Leader Set for Key Bilateral Talks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with a foreign leader during an upcoming two-day visit. They are expected to address key bilateral topics, including trade, connectivity, energy, border management, and regional security.
While the visit is being organized as a bilateral engagement, details regarding the schedule are still being finalized, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
