Dhaka, 16 August (Brussles Morning Newspaper) Bangladesh has put fresh conditions around Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to India, saying the diplomatic atmosphere must improve as Dhaka waits for New Delhi to act on requests to extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives. The intervention leaves Bangladesh India relations at a delicate point despite weeks of contact aimed at arranging a high-level visit.
The message from Dhaka was not that talks had ended. Rather, officials made clear that progress towards a visit would depend on what happens next in some of the most difficult disputes between the neighbours.
Dhaka says conditions are not yet right for India visit
Foreign Ministry spokesperson and Additional Foreign Secretary A.K.M. Shahidul Karim said officials from Bangladesh and India had been discussing the possibility of Rahman travelling to India for several weeks.
But on Sunday, Karim indicated that those discussions alone were not enough to secure a visit.
“We are of the view that a propitious environment needs to be created for the visit,” he told reporters at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka.
The remarks sharpen a position already expressed by Rahman. During his meeting with India’s new High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, on 10 August, the prime minister called for a “conducive environment” to advance relations.
Three days later, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Rahman’s proposed India visit had not been finalised and would depend both on his schedule and progress in bilateral discussions.
Hasina extradition hangs over Bangladesh India relations
The most politically sensitive issue remains Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India as her government collapsed during the August 2024 uprising.
Bangladesh has formally sought her extradition. Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia in November 2025 over the deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising. She denies the allegations and says the proceedings against her are politically motivated.
Karim said Dhaka had asked the Indian authorities to act quickly on requests concerning Hasina and other fugitives. Bangladesh is still waiting for a response, he said. India has previously maintained that the extradition requests are being examined through its legal procedures.
The dispute has become harder to separate from the wider relationship because Hasina has continued to speak publicly while in India.
Hasina’s New Delhi appearance adds fresh friction
Dhaka says negotiations over Rahman’s possible visit were damaged by Hasina’s interaction with journalists in New Delhi on 5 August.
During that appearance, Hasina called for the ban on her Awami League to be lifted and said she intended to return to Bangladesh in December. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry subsequently described the episode as an affront to the country’s sovereignty and said allowing her to make such a public statement had been “deeply hurtful”.
Karim went further on Sunday, saying the episode had “vitiated” the process surrounding the proposed prime ministerial visit.
New Delhi had not publicly responded to Sunday’s latest remarks when Reuters reported the development.
Both governments still have reasons to keep talking
Despite the political friction, neither side has closed the door on improving Bangladesh India relations.
Rahman’s government has said it wants friendly relations with neighbouring countries while pursuing what it calls a “Bangladesh First” foreign policy based on sovereign equality, national dignity, non-interference and mutual benefit.
India has also signalled that it wants engagement to continue. During Trivedi’s meeting with Rahman, the Indian side reiterated its commitment to working with Bangladesh in a “positive, constructive and forward-looking manner”.
The stakes extend well beyond the immediate political dispute. The neighbours have extensive interests spanning trade, border management, transport, energy and regional security, making a prolonged breakdown in high-level dialogue difficult for either government to ignore.
What comes next for Rahman’s proposed visit?
There is still no confirmed date for the Bangladeshi prime minister to travel to India.
For now, the visit remains a diplomatic possibility rather than a fixed engagement. Shama Obaed said on 13 August that direct talks between the leaders could provide an opportunity to resolve outstanding problems, while stressing that arrangements had yet to be finalised.
The immediate question is whether New Delhi responds in a way that Dhaka believes improves the atmosphere for a meeting.
Until then, Rahman’s proposed trip is likely to remain tied to the unresolved extradition dispute — leaving both governments talking about repairing ties while still confronting the political fallout from Hasina’s fall from power.
