Bangladesh says no rush for PM Tarique Rahman's India visit amid strained ties

Dhaka,UPDATED: Aug 23, 2026 12:38 IST

Bangladesh on Saturday said there was "no rush" for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit India, even as Dhaka said it wanted a positive relationship with New Delhi. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said any visit would happen at an appropriate time after enough progress in bilateral talks, according to the state-run BSS news agency.

His remarks came amid uncertainty over Rahman's proposed trip to New Delhi. India has invited the Bangladesh prime minister for a bilateral visit and for the outreach session of the BRICS summit on September 12-13. The visit is being watched closely as India-Bangladesh ties have remained under strain since the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024.

Hasina fled to India after her government was toppled. Dhaka later sought her extradition, while New Delhi said the request was under examination in line with applicable legal procedures. Kobir, an adviser to the Bangladesh prime minister who was appointed state minister on Friday, said, "We want a positive relationship with India. Why wouldn't we? They are our neighbours. We should have a working relationship." He added, "But it has to be done by prioritising Bangladesh's national interests," and said Dhaka would not compromise its interests in dealing with any country.

Asked about the timing of Rahman's possible India visit, Kobir said there was no need to hurry a meeting at the head-of-government level. "If we reach an agreement based on our national interests tomorrow, we can go [to India] next week, or the week after. There is no rush here," he said, adding that such a visit needed adequate preparation, substantive discussions and groundwork by both sides.

Relations came under fresh strain after Hasina held a virtual media interaction in New Delhi on August 5, in which she said she was determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" by restoring democracy, despite the risk of imprisonment or a death sentence. Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Bangladesh in November 2025 over alleged "crimes against humanity" during the crackdown on people involved in student-led protests that eventually led to her removal. Bangladesh reacted strongly to the media interaction, saying it had hurt public sentiment and could affect efforts to improve ties with India. India sought to distance itself from the event, saying it neither played any role in it nor endorsed Hasina's remarks.

After the August 5 event, Dhaka repeated its demand for Hasina's extradition and sought to link the issue with Rahman's planned visit to India. Kobir said on Saturday that Bangladesh and India have an extradition treaty and that Hasina's extradition remained part of ongoing engagement between the two countries. His remarks came the same day that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said any relationship must pass the test of "mutual interest", in what appeared to be a reference to India's engagement with Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries. Overall, Bangladesh said it wanted good ties with India, but made clear that any high-level visit would depend on progress in talks and on Dhaka's national interests.

With PTI Inputs

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