Bangladesh PM likely to visit India as Dhaka presses for Hasina's extradition

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is likely to visit India, pending his schedule and the advancement of bilateral talks, according to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam. The government is occupied with domestic issues and upcoming constitutional activities, but if circumstances align, a visit to India is plausible.

In April, Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman paid an official visit to India as part of diplomatic reconciliation efforts after a prolonged period of strained relations. India has extended two invitations to Rahman: one for a bilateral meeting and another for the upcoming Brics Summit in September. Both events are still distant, and the situation can change dramatically in a month, stated Islam.

Rahman's visit to India could potentially alleviate tensions, as direct communication between the leaders of both nations may facilitate discussions and resolve outstanding issues. The deterioration of India-Bangladesh relations began after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took office in August 2024 following Sheikh Hasina's government's downfall.

Tensions eased somewhat with the representation of India by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at Rahman's inauguration in Dhaka on February 17. Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party has maintained that Hasina must hand herself over to the law if she returns to Bangladesh, and she recently addressed an audio-only press conference from New Delhi, expressing her determination to return and restore democracy, despite the possible imprisonment or death sentence.

India distanced itself from Hasina's media appearance, stating that it neither organized nor endorsed her comments regarding the Bangladesh government.