Bangladesh-India relations remain under visible strain, with Dhaka signalling on Sunday that a more favourable diplomatic climate is needed before it can commit to a top-level visit to New Delhi. The statement, delivered by foreign ministry spokesperson AKM Shahidul Karim, underscores how deeply the two neighbours’ ties have been affected by the unresolved question of ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s continued stay in India.
“We are of the view that a propitious environment needs to be created for the visit,” Karim told reporters, adding that recent developments had complicated the process. He pointed specifically to Hasina’s August 5 virtual press interaction with journalists in New Delhi, saying it had disrupted ongoing discussions between the two governments. “This process was vitiated by the open press interaction in New Delhi on 5th August by Sheikh Hasina,” Karim said, noting that Dhaka had already made its position on the matter clear.
Sheikh Hasina Extradition Remains the Central Sticking Point
The Sheikh Hasina extradition request continues to sit at the heart of the dispute between Dhaka and New Delhi. Hasina has lived in India since her government collapsed in August 2024 amid mass protests, and her presence there has become one of the most persistent irritants in an otherwise cautiously rebuilding relationship. Bangladesh has formally asked India to extradite Hasina and other fugitives under the bilateral extradition treaty and has also requested the handover of suspects accused of killing July uprising figure Sharif Osman Hadi.
“We are awaiting their response,” Karim said of India’s reply to the extradition request. New Delhi, for its part, has said the matter is being examined in accordance with its legal and judicial procedures, while distancing itself from Hasina’s recent public appearance by describing it as an event organised by a private entity rather than one endorsed or arranged by the Indian government.
Bangladesh-India Relations: Tarique Rahman India Visit Still Under Discussion
Officials in Dhaka and New Delhi have been in contact for several weeks over a possible Tarique Rahman India visit, which would mark his first trip to India as prime minister and the first face-to-face meeting between him and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the BNP government took office in February. Diplomatic sources had earlier floated dates in the second half of August, including August 22 and 23, though no schedule has been confirmed.
Contacts between the two sides have nonetheless picked up in recent weeks. Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met Rahman in Dhaka on August 10, where the two discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties. Trivedi later travelled to New Delhi for consultations, including a meeting with Modi. India had extended an invitation to Rahman soon after he assumed office, and he has separately been invited to the BRICS outreach session in New Delhi in September in his capacity as chair of BIMSTEC.
What a Modi-Rahman Summit Could Mean for Bangladesh-India Relations
Should the visit eventually take place, it would give both leaders an opportunity to address a wide range of issues, including trade, connectivity, energy cooperation, border management, regional security and water-sharing arrangements. The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, which is due to expire in December, is likely to feature prominently in any such talks, alongside longstanding disagreements over trade and security cooperation.
The proposed meeting is being watched closely because Bangladesh-India relations deteriorated sharply following Hasina’s removal from power in 2024. Since returning to office in February, the BNP-led government has repeatedly indicated that it wants a stable, working relationship with New Delhi, even as it presses for changes in how that relationship has traditionally been managed.
Karim reiterated that Bangladesh would continue to pursue what the government calls its “Bangladesh First” foreign policy, built around principles of sovereign equality, national dignity, non-interference in internal affairs and mutual benefit.
For now, Rahman’s prospective trip to Delhi remains possible but far from confirmed. Whether the visit proceeds next week, or is pushed back further, will likely depend on how quickly Dhaka and New Delhi can narrow their differences over Hasina’s status and restore the kind of political atmosphere Bangladesh says is necessary before its prime minister will travel to India.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, August 17th, 2026
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